18 



recent date. There is a Species of it called Durva, grow- 

 ing in the North of India, which for a long time has been 

 very greatly prized. Sir William Jones in his catalogue 

 of Indian plants, when speaking of this, observes " its 

 flowers in their perfect state are among the loveliest objects 

 in the vegetable 'world, and appear through a tens like mi- 

 nute rubies and emeralds, in constant motion from the least 

 breath of air It is the sweetest and most nutritious pas- 

 ture for cattle, and its usefulness, added to its beauty, 

 induced the Hindu's in their earliest ages, to believe it the 

 mansion of a benevolent nymph. Even the Veda (or holy 

 and immortal book) celebrates it in the following text from 

 the Athervaha.* " May Durva which rose from the water 

 of life, which has a hundred roots and a hundred stems, 

 efface a. hundred of my sins and prolong my existence on 

 fcarth a hundred years."f 



Among the many superior qualities of the Fiorio Grass 

 are tire following Its active principle of life, which is not 

 destroyed by the operations of nature fatal to other grasses 

 It thrives equally well in a moist, a dry, and a shallow 

 Soil It appears little affected by the influence of the sUn 

 Hence it may be found growing near the north side of a 

 'wall It is regardless alike of the severe cold of winter, 

 and the intense heat of summer Its crops are enormous 

 and double, both crops, in one instance, amounted to nearly 

 eight tons and a half per acre,^ and in another ten tons 

 were gathered. 



The propagation, culture and properties of the Fiorin 

 Grass have been unhappily exaggerated by the lovers of 

 new improvements ; who, not satisfied with advantages 

 which are really peculiar, attribute to this herb every fan- 

 cied desideratum Yet, after making sufficient allowances, 

 on this score, the Fiorin Grass has unquestionably many 



* The fourth great division of the Veda, 

 f Quarterly Review, vol. 1st, p. 307. 



* Archives of Knowledge, vol. 2, p. 27& 

 See Edinburgh Farmer's Magazine. 



