PAET THIKD* 



CHAPTER I. 



The Order Graminae, or Grass Family, are arranged 

 into genera, species, and varieties, which assist the 

 memory in retaining the discriminating characters, 

 ,or specific marks, by which every species and variety 

 of grass is distinguished from all others. This is of 

 particular value to the farmer, whose occupations al- 

 low not, perhaps, the time and attention requisite to 

 obtain general botanical knowledge, and whose pur. 

 pose here is only the attainment of a perfect knowl- 

 edge of the comparative merits and value of this tribe 

 of plants, exclusively agricultural, and which consti- 

 tutes the foundation of the riches of a farm. The 

 bare enumeration of the different species and varie- 

 ties which comprise this agricultural family of plants, 

 will be sufficient to show the importance and useful- 

 ness which some degree of botanical knowledge is to 

 the farmer ; or how much light and order are prefer- 

 able to darkness and confusion, certainty to uncer- 

 tainty or, in a word, science to empiricism. 



