92 PLANT LIFE ON THE FARM. 



twenty are grasses, ten leguminous, and the remainder, 

 occurring usually in smaller proportions and belonging 

 to many natural orders, are conveniently grouped as 

 "miscellaneous." The numbers and relative proportions 

 of these, as noted in the growing herbage or recognized 

 in the samples taken from it, differ very much in dif- 

 ferent seasons, and more especially according to the 

 nature of the manure employed. 



The plants vary among themselves, the grasses having 

 certain characters in common, the leguminous plants dif- 

 fering from the grasses, and both more or less from the 

 miscellaneous plants, the members of which latter group 

 differ very considerably among themselves. The varia- 

 tions alluded to depends of course on the varying organi- 

 zation, hereditary endowments, internal structure, habit, 

 constitution, and mode of life of the several plants. Some 

 of these points are much more influenced by external 

 conditions of soil and climate than others. 



The Grasses. *-Of the eighteen grasses which commonly 

 occur on the plots all are perennial except Bromus mollis. 



* In the text the Latin names of the plants mentioned are employed 

 as more precise and uniform in their application, not varying in differ- 

 ent localities, and being in universal use in botanical works ; but as 

 these names may not be familiar to some readers, the most commonly 

 adopted English names are here supplied. It should be remembered 

 that only the more important of the pasture plants are here alluded to. 

 [The common names most in use in the United States are added 

 in brackets.] 



GRASSES. 



Anthoxanthum odoratum -= Sweet vernal grass. 



Alopecurus pratensis = Meadow fox tail grass, 



Phleum pratense = Meadow cat's-tail. [Timothy.] 



Agrostis vulgaris = Fiorin grass. [Red-top.] 



Aira caespitosa Tussack or hair grass. 



Holcus lanatus = Woolly soft grass. 



A vena pubescens = Downy oat-grass. 



" elatior = False oat-grass. 



