162 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



mer residing at Weathersfield in Connecticut, sent 

 to England a bonnet of very fine materials and manu- 

 facture, and which, on being submitted to the in- 

 spection of the principal dealers in such articles, was 

 declared to be superior even to Leghorn in the fine- 

 ness of the material and the beauty of its colour. It 

 was manufactured from a species of grass growing 

 spontaneously in that part of the United States, and 

 popularly known by the name of tickle-moth. This 

 grass is found abundantly in most of the meadow 

 land, but more commonly in fields that have not been 

 highly manured. Specimens and seeds of this grass 

 were obtained in the hope of promoting its cultivation 

 in England. But little of the seed, however, could 

 be procured, as it is never sown in America, but 

 springs up luxuriantly, and is cut from the time of 

 its flowering until the seed is not quite matured. 

 On being sown in this country, it germinated very 

 successfully, both under cover and in the open air. 



In the mean time many experiments were made by 

 Mr. Cobbett and others on our English grasses, 

 and Leghorn plat of a most excellent quality was 

 produced. 



The list of available grasses was continually in- 

 creased by those persons who from time to time 

 made experiments on the subject and presented spe- 

 cimens of the result of their labours. 



A numerous class of grasses, like the common 

 annual kinds of corn, have but few leaves ; these 

 gradually decay as the seed-stalks advance towards 

 perfection, and wither, or fall oft* entirely, when the 

 seeds are at maturity. The grasses which are appli- 

 cable to the straw-plat manufacture are found in this 

 class. Among these, the grasses which are proved to 

 be the best suited to the purpose approach nearest 

 in point of colour to the fresh pale green of wheat ; 

 for, in general, as the hue recedes from the yellow, 



