WORCESTER SOCIETY. I55 



useful in sowing the slopes of the various raih"oad embank- 

 ments and excavations on the numerous routes through our 

 country. This grass appears well adapted for this purpose • 

 it would readily grow in those situations, thus saving the cor- 

 porations much expense from repairing the banks, occasioned 

 by washing of the rains, which it would prevent, and would 

 convert the unsightly object of barren earth, to the pleasant 

 view of a handsome green sward. The committee, with such 

 evidence as they have been able to obtain, are in doubt wliether 

 to recommend this as a valuable grass except for railroad pur- 

 poses, or to condemn it as has been done by some English 

 writers, as a weed. They would solicit from those who have 

 made a trial of it, a statement of the results of their experi- 

 ments. 



The farm of Mr. Willard, so far as seen by the committee, 

 appeared highly productive, the crops being large, giving evi- 

 dence of good cultivation, 



.TOHN W. LINCOLN, 

 JAMES ESTABROOK, 

 HARVEY DODGE. 



Com. nit tee oji Farms. 



Benjamin Willard^s Statement. 

 My winter wheat was raised from six quarts obtained of a 

 friend, brought by him from the far west; said to yield a heavy, 

 beautiful crop, and to be always free from smut, blight, and 

 weevil, neither of which have I seen on a single head or 

 straw. My six quarts sown Sept. 1849, gave me 6 1-2 bushels, 

 fair as the original seed. Of this I sowed 2 1-2 bushels on a 

 two acre home lot, part after early dug potatoes, August 30 ; 

 part after corn, Sept. 9th ; 1 bushel on a summer fallow of 

 light pasture land, Sept. 24, 1850. Part of the seed was steeped 

 in strong brine with no perceptible difference afterwards. 

 The fallow (one acre) was cut Aug. 17th. It gave me 20 

 bushels, for one sown. The other was cut too late, the 26th, 

 being ripe ; but part of it is thrashed. I think 50 bushels a safe 

 estimate for the home lot. It was taller, heavier, and equally 



