THE RUSHES, GRASSES, AND FERNS. 265 



meet with at least one species of the so-called 

 Cotton Grass (Eriophorum), whose soft, white, silky 

 bunch of fibres (beautiful objects under the micro- 

 scope) gives to the plant a name by which anyone may 

 distinguish it. We have seen the North Country 

 marshes white with the abundance of this sedge, 

 and not a great number of years ago a scheme 

 was set afoot to cultivate it for commercial purposes. 

 We have not heard, however, whether anything came 

 of it, but it is hardly likely to successfully compete 

 with the genuine cotton tree, either for quantity or 

 quality, although it does seem a pity that so much 

 utilisable material should not be employed in some 

 way or another. The cotton-like down of one species 

 (Eriophorum angustifolium), is often used in the 

 moorland districts of Yorkshire and Lancashire for 

 stuffing pillows. Candle and lamp wicks are also 

 manufactured out of it in various places in the same 

 district. 



Our native grasses are now having more attention 

 paid to them, for they are being cultivated for lawns 

 and pastures, which are sown with their seed. In- 

 deed, so well acquainted are some of our seed- 

 merchants with the more important species, that a 

 person has only to name the kind of soil he wishes 

 to have covered with grass, and the seed of the 

 species best suited to it will be sent him. Until 

 very recently, the study of our British grasses had 

 been much neglected by botanists. One species, 

 the Sweet-Scented Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum 



