68 HOW TO GROW GOOD GRASSES. 



therefore very objectionable, whether in the meadow 

 or in "seeds," to both of which, when poor and 

 neglected, it becomes attached. In both positions it 

 is sometimes mixed with a kind that droops pretty 

 considerably to one side ; from which it has got the 

 name of " lop." Prom the meadow it is soon got rid 

 of by manuring and depasturing ; haymaking, though 

 it cuts off the main stem, only encourages smaller 

 ones to spring up late, and so the seed is sown. In 

 " seeds " it is frequently mixed with rye-grass seed, 

 as it too often occurs that a patch of rye-grass with 

 much lop is seeded, as the most profitable way to 

 deal with it, as its seeds are heavy and large, and 

 therefore tell well, either by weight or measure. 

 Our enlarged drawing of a seed with its envelopes 

 is given to contrast with rye-grass seed, which is 

 narrower and more pointed. 



Within the last few years a species of brome 

 grass, which was formerly very rare, has become a 

 common weed : we mean the B. arvensis, Corn Brome- 

 grass, — a species with smaller and more numerous 

 heads of flowers than the one just described. This 

 has spread with the growth of foreign seeds, and 

 so suddenly has it appeared in some places as to 

 cause farmers to come to the conclusion that poor 

 cultivation has made the land spontaneously bring 

 forth "a nasty sort of wild oat," while others have 

 even concluded that a cereal crop had been trans- 

 formed into this grass. 



The Bromus erectus (Upright Brome Grass) is very 

 constant to poor calcareous soils. This is a perennial 

 species, but very poor indeed in feeding qualities ; 

 however, it looks green in park-glades, and if kept 

 down by rough stock, it may then be made useful. 



