COMPOSITION OF SEDGES. 233 



of the ordinary modes of curing, as to lose all its water. 

 It has already been remarked that the average percent- 

 age of water found in well-cured hay, in England, is 

 about sixteen, and in this country from ten to four- 

 teen per cent, of water will always be found in sun- 

 dried hay. 



The water or aquatic grasses, and the swamp sedges, 

 contain a much larger percentage of water than the 

 upland grasses, while their amount of ash, or inorganic 

 constituents, is proportionally small. They are not, 

 therefore, valuable for fodder, though, as I have said, 

 they are often eaten, especially in spring, or when they 

 are succulent and tender. 



The following analysis, by Salisbury, of the soft rush 

 (Juncus effusus), will serve as an example of the com- 

 position of many of this class of plants. The stalk, cut 

 in a swamp on the 22d of June, weighed 46 grains. It 

 contained 



46.586 per cent, of water ; 



63.414 " " " dry matter; 



0.978 " " " ash; 



1.831 " " " ash calculated dry ; 



while the organic matter calculated dry amounted to 

 98.169. The proportion of inorganic matter, it will be 

 seen, was very small. 



The slender club-rush (Eleocharis tennis) shows a 

 somewhat similar composition. It was cut in blossom, 

 and had of 



Water, 38.241. 



Dry matter, 61.759. 

 Ash, 2.663. 



The ash calculated dry was found to be 4.312 per 

 cent., and the organic matter calculated dry to be 

 95.688 per cent. 



A comparison of the analyses of the ash of the nat- 

 ural and artificial grasses will reveal the fact that the 

 20* 



