SECTION HI. 

 GRASSES. 



" And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed. 

 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed." 



Gtn. i. 11-12. 



In drawing this little volume on the native plants to a 

 conclusion, though many have been left unnoticed or un- 

 known by me, I must say a few words respecting the grasses ; 

 not, indeed, to add a botanical description of this most 

 beautiful and graceful tribe of plants, which deserves a 

 volume from the pen of one who has given greater attention 

 to the subject, and which seems to me to require the know- 

 ledge of a scientific botanist. To do justice to that I must 

 confess I am not competent; any knowledge that I possess 

 is simply that of an observer and a lover of the beautiful 

 works of the Creator. 



The student of botany will not be content merely with 

 my superficial, desultory way for acquiring a more intimate 

 acquaintance with the productions of the forest and the 

 field; and to such I would recommend a more particular 

 study of our beautiful native wild grasses, including the 

 rushes and the sedges. At present the field has not been 

 entered upon fully, if even its very borders have been gleaned, 

 unless by that industrious and indefatigable botanist, Pro- 

 fessor John Macoun, whom we might well call the Father 

 of Canadian Botany. 



But though I cannot venture to treat the subject of the 

 grasses as a botanist, I cannot pass them by without intro- 

 H 209 



