894 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



5703. The best natural pastures of England, examined carefully during various periods of the season, 

 were found by Sinclair of Woburn to consist of the following plants : 



^lopecurus pratensis. Phl^um prati5nse. Ffcia s^pium. Pha. iinnua. 



jDactylis glomerata. Anthroxinthum odordtum. Z/61ium per^nne. A\^na. pratensis. 



fe<uca pratensis. ifolcus avenaceus. Bromus arv^nsis (frequent). 



These afFord the principal grass in the spring, and also a great part of the summer produce : 



^vena flav^scens. Festuca duriiiscula. Hdlcus lanktus. i^thyius pratensis. 



Hdrdeum prat^nse. Pba. trivialis. Trif 61ium pratijnse. 



Cjnosfirus cristatus. Pba. prat(5nsis. Trif olium ripens. 



These yield produce principally in summer and autumn : 



v4chillea Afillefblium. jlgrdstis stolonffera and palustris. Trfticum repens. 



These vegetate with most vigour in autumn : 



iianunculus acris. Plantkgo lanceol^ta. iiiimex Acetosa. 



The first and last of these plants are to be considered injurious ; and the other is of little value as 

 herbage. [Uort. Gram. Wob. 2d edit. 133.) 



5704. The above mixture sown at the rate of four or five bushels to the acre, on well prepared soil with- 

 out corn or other crop of any kind, could hardly fail of producing excellent pasture in the following year, 

 and for an indefinite period. The best time for sowing is July or August, as spring-sown seeds are apt to 

 suffer with the droughts of June and July. Fifteen of the above sorts are to be had from the seed-shops ; 

 and all of them may be gathered from natural pastures, or bespoke from collectors. Sinclair of Woburn, 

 having entered into the seed and nursery business, and having expressed his intention to devote his par- 

 ticular attention to supplying the public with grass and other agricultural seeds, will probably render such 

 seeds more common in commerce. {Advt. by Cormack, Son, and Sinclair.) 



5705. Of late pasture grasses the different species of cat's-tail (Phleum) and bent-grass 

 f^grostis) are the chief, and especially the Timothy and florin grass. The grasses, Sir 

 H. Davy observes, that propagate themselves by stolones, the different species of .^grostis, 

 supply pasture throughout the year ; and the concrete sap, stored up in their joints, ren- 

 ders them a good food even in winter. 



5706. Of pasture grasses for inferior soils one of the most durable is the dog's-tail grass 

 (Cynosijrus cristatus, _^|r. 793. a). This is a very common grass on dry, clayey, or firm 



surfaces. It is one of the best grasses for parks, being highly relished by the South Down 

 sheep and deer. 



5707. The hard fescue grass {Festilca duriuscula, b) is one of the best of the dwarf sorts of grasses. It 

 is grateful to all kinds of cattle ; hares are very fond of it ; at Woburn they crop it close to the roots, and 

 neglect the Festuca ovina and Festuca rtibra, which grow contiguous to it. It is present in most good 

 meadows and pastures, and, with F. ovina, is the best for lawns. 



5708. The Festuca glabra (c), and hordeiformis {d), greatly resemble the hard fescue, and may be con- 

 sidered equally desirable as pasture and lawn grasses. 



5709. The yellow oat grass {A\hx\Si flav^scens) is very generally cultivated, and appears, from the Woburn 

 experiments, to be a very valuable grass for pasture on a clayey soil. 



5710. Of pasture grasses for i7tferior soils and upland situations, one of the principal is the Festuca 



ovina, or sheep's fescue 



794 ^l\%j H ^"M ,?" /;/// ^^ grass(^^.75H.a). This 



grass is peculiarly 

 adapted for hilly sheep 

 ptstiires. It is a low 

 dwarf grass, but re- 

 lished by all kinds of 

 i cattle. According to 

 inclair's experience, 

 on dry soils that are 

 incapable of producing 

 the larger sorts, this 

 should form the prin- 

 cipal crop, or rather 

 the whole; for it is 

 seldom or never, in its 

 natural state, found 

 intimately mixed with 

 others, but by itself. 



5711. TheVbaalpina 

 (b), Alopecurus alpl- 

 nus, and Aira OEspi- 

 tbsa (c), Jiriza media' 



id), and tninima, and AgrdsUs humilis and vulgaris, are all dwarf mountain grasses, well adapted for hilly 



parks or lawns. 



