( 79 ) 



The feed of rye-grafs is rarely to be found 

 pure. Much of what is fold is, in general, a 

 mixture of fwine-grafs, couch, and feveral other 

 noxious forts : and this is the reafon why this 

 feed is fo generally difliked, and why rye-grafs 

 is faid to fill land full of twitch or couch- 

 grafs. But this is an erroneous opinion; for 

 rye-grafs will no more produce twitch than it 

 will produce wheat. Therefore, the farmer muft 

 either have fown the feeds of twitch with the 

 feeds of rye-grafs ; or, at the time he prepared 

 the land, muft have left the plants or feeds of 

 twitch in the ground. The fact is, that great pare 

 of the feed fold for rye-grafs, is in reality chiefly 

 that of twitch ; for this kind of feed is mod: 

 frequently raifed by the lower fort of farmers, 

 who, not having money fufficient to purchafe 

 (lock for the purpofe of eating the herbage, 

 meadow it and let it (land for kcd y crops of 

 which it will produce for many years. But, if 

 there be any twitch when the rye-grafs is firft 

 fown, the twitch, as being more luxuriant, 

 will increafe the faded and in length of time 

 get into fole pofTefiion of the field. At 

 prefent, there is very little land in England 

 without twitch, I know no herb which 



increafes 



