TUBEROUS ROOTS, AND GRAIN. 335 



perform in the field ; they also supply manure ; and the 

 more forage we produce for cattle, the greater is the quan- 

 tity of manure we shall be able to spread upon our fields. 



Emily. Poor soils, then, must require more cattle, 

 and, consequently, more grass-land, than rich ones. But 

 may not cattle be fed on other vegetables besides grass ? 



Mrs. B. Unquestionably ; cattle will eat the same veg- 

 etables that serve for our subsistence ; but we reserve 

 these for our own use, and feed them on those which 

 would afford us little or no nourishment, such as grasses. 

 These are of two kinds, natural and artificial. The natu- 

 ral grasses are of the gramineous family, which belongs 

 to the class of monocotyledons, or endogenous plants. 



Emily. Yet how very little resemblance they bear to 

 the palm-tree, or other tropical endogenous plants. 



Mrs. B. They are not so dissimilar as you imagine, 

 since they grow like them internally. 



Caroline. They may then be considered as the minia- 

 ture palm-trees of our ungenial climates, being contracted 

 both in space and time ; for the mower comes with his de- 

 structive scythe, before they have passed through a single 

 season. 



Mrs. B. The natural grasses are either annuals or pe- 

 rennials. The first are very rarely used for meadows. 

 In some countries, however, rye, Indian corn, and millet 

 (all of which are annuals,) are sown as grasses; that is to 

 say, for the sake of their leaves, which are mown as soon 

 as they appear above ground, and thus, several successive 

 crops are obtained in one season. 



But our meadows are all formed of perennial grasses : 

 they are sown with hay-seed, which consists of a mixture 

 of various sorts of grasses, more or less adulterated with 

 the seed of weeds. These different grasses, ripening at 

 different periods, a medium must be taken to mow the 

 crop. 



Emily. Would it not be better to sow only one spe- 

 cies of grass ? 



Mrs. B. Yes ; provided it were first ascertained, what 

 species would best suit the soil and climate. There are 



1811. Why are not cattle fed on the vegetables which serve for our 

 own subsistence! 1812. What are the two kinds of grasses'? 1813. 

 How are natural grasses divided! 1814. How may rye, Indian 

 Corn, and millet be considered as grasses'? 1815. Of what grasses 

 are our meadows formed! 



