30 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES. 



clearly indicates that Sweet Vernal is even better for grazing 

 than for cutting. One characteristic of this grass is its brilliant 

 green colour ; hence it should be employed in mixtures for parks 

 and ornamental grounds in larger proportion tlian would be 

 reasonable if the quantity of liay or grass wei'e of primary con- 

 sideration. But its use in lawns is, in my opinion, a mistake, 

 although it has been recommended for that purpose. The leaves 

 are too broad and fiat, and look unsightly in a sward tliat is kept 

 down close ; but for the park, especially round a mountain liome, 

 it is an invaluable grass. 



Sweet Vernal cjrows abundant! v in some parts of Devon ^ and 

 in the Eastern Counties, and the plants invariably tlirive better 

 in pastures among other varieties than Avhen two of them happen 

 to be contiguous. It is well adapted for deep, rich, moist soils, 

 where it grows luxuriantly, and on marshy places it throws up 

 flower culms all through the summer. In wet, peaty land it 

 comes so large and reed-like as to deceive any Init an experi- 

 enced botanist. It also thrives under tlie shade of trees, and 

 accommodates itself remarkably to iri-igation. Yet, strange to 

 say, this grass is equally at home on thin moors and exposed 

 sandy dunes, and furtlier experiments sliould be made with it on 

 reclaimed land and sandy wastes near the sea, for it will live 

 in soil which will not feed any other grass, and isolated plants 

 flourish where only rushes and heather have existed before. It is 

 also believed to have the property of discouraging the growth of 

 moss. 



The agreeable perfume imparted to hay by Sweet Vernal has 

 created a demand for seed out of all pi'oportion to the supply. 

 It is gathered by ]iand from plants growing wild in the woods 



^ A gentleman in South Devon has written me concerning Anthoxanthum odoratum 

 as follows : — 



' This grass grows wild in this neighbourhood in the hedgerows, and cattle are very 

 fond of it in the winter months. It has the merit of shooting very early in the spring. 

 Towards the end of February last we had a few days of mild and moist weather, and it 

 commenced to sprout very strongly, and I observed that all hinds of cattle preferred it to 

 other grasses.' 



