214 LAYING DOWN LANDS TO GRASS. 



As grasses vary materially in their manner of 

 growth, there should be a combination of those cir- 

 cumstances, in order to constitute good meadows, 

 and also to contribute as much as possible to the sup- 

 port of live stock. 



The different grasses which compose the produce 

 of the richest natural pastures in England are from 

 from twenty -six to thirty in number, and are fully 

 described in the first part of this work. From the 

 spring till the end of Autumn there is not a month 

 but what constitutes the particular season of lux- 

 uriance of one or more of these grasses; hence 

 proceeds the constant supply of rich, succulent herb- 

 age throughout the whole of the season, a circum- 

 stance which but seldom or never happens in artificial 

 pastures, where the herbage consists of two or three 

 plants only. 



If the best natural pastures be examined with care* 

 during various periods of the season, the produce 

 will be found to consist of the following plants : 



1. Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus Pratensis), May, 



2. Tall Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum Avenaceum), 

 May. 



3. Sweet Scented Vernal (Anthoxanthum Odora- 

 tum), May. 



4. Annual Spear Grass (Poa Annua), May, 



5. Orchard Grass (Dactylis Glomerata), beginning 

 of June. 



6. Perennial Rye Grass (Lolium Perenne), begin- 

 ning of June. 



7. Italian Eye Grass (Lolium Italicum), beginning 

 of June. 



