HOW TO GROW GOOD GRASSES. 71 



usually make our calculations for something less than 

 a ton of hay to the acre, and this would generally 

 be late, and offer little aftermath. Like the preceding, 

 its indications are want of draining, manure, and 

 depasturing. If after the drains begin to act, sheep 

 be folded upon a quaking-grass meadow, and fed with 

 turnips, hay, pease, or cake, it will soon be eradicated. 

 a, the smaller species, is an annual, and is only 

 noticed here by way of distinction : its smaller and 

 broader bunches of whitish, not purple, flowers, and 

 rectilinear branches, will distinguish it from the 

 common form. It is comparatively rare; but we 

 have had some fine specimens communicated by 

 H. C. Watson, Esq., from Thames Ditton. b is a 

 garden specimen, remarkable for its larger flower 

 bunches. 



The Hair Grass (Aim c&spitosa, fig. 29) is com- 

 monly called hassock, or tussac grass, or bull-pates — ■ 

 names which its massive bunches of root-leaves 

 clearly indicate the meaning of. Its leaves are so 

 rough, with serrated edges, that cattle mostly refuse 

 it, unless when very young. This grass is a never- 

 failing indicator of wet, — so much so, that if a meadow 

 be drained in which it abounds, the action of the 

 drains is clearly indicated by its more or less gradual 

 dying out. The quickest way, then, to subdue this 

 large, coarse weed-grass is to drain, and then fold 

 sheep upon the drying meadow : these animals tread 

 the tussac grass into manure, which goes to feed the 

 better species. By this means, not only this, but 

 other rough or "sour" grasses are more quickly and 

 more certainly removed than by spudding them out ; 

 and this leads us to remark, in concluding this chapter, 

 that in the meadow there will usually be found grow- 



