ON THE GROWTH OP PLANTS. 35 



so little progress, that we almost despaired of any substantial results under 

 such untoward circumstances. Still, however, we now offer remarks upon 

 some of the more striking experiments, which it may be said are so far com- 

 plete up to November. 



Grasses. 



Sorghum saccharatum (Holcus saccharatus), Chinese Sugar-cane.— The 

 fine summer of 1859 enabled us to grow this plant to a height of as much 

 as 7 feet, as also to perfect its saccharine matter, at least in a very high 

 degree. This success, which was pretty general all over England, had caused 

 very flattering encomiums to be passed on the merits of this plant for agricul- 

 tural purposes, especially as a green soiling food. The total failure, however, 

 of our experiments for this season is not only instructive as to the great 

 diversity of seasons, but should also teach us caution in recommending the 

 extensive adoption of any new plant in our uncertain climate from only a 

 single year's growth. Our best plants did not attain 6 inches, and indeed our 

 failure this year was more signal than our success the previous one. 



JEgilops ovata. — Although our specimens are far later in coming to matu- 

 rity than in any former season, yet the results are more striking than we have 

 before observed. Even at the time of our writing (November), little of our 

 crop for 1860 has ripened ; but the spikes are longer than usual, whilst the 

 stalks (culms) are taller; and added to this is the important result of a show 

 of more and larger grain, of the shape of the wheat grain, so that we have 

 scarcely a doubt left as to this being the parent of the cereal or corn wheat. 

 Again, as another evidence of the results and effects of cultivation, we have 

 the crop of this year affected with all the epiphytical fungi to which wheat 

 is liable, and the more so the more it is manured. 



Gyneria argentea, Pampas Grass. — Our specimens, one of which flowered 

 most beautifully last year, are all dead, so that however highly this plant 

 may be recommended for naturalization in other parts of England, where the 

 climate is milder, we cannot think it will ever be safe to trust to it on the 

 " Stony Cotteswolds." 



Of British Grasses, we have to report that we have had in operation during 

 the present season as many as sixty plots ; several of these are only our usual 

 common English species, many of which are condemned to be resown on 

 account of their inevitable admixture. Among the experiments of interest, 

 we have to report the complete production of Festuca elatior from a plot of 

 F. loliacea, in which the changes were as follows : — 



2nd year. — Festuca loliacea the rule, with exceptional cases of F.pratensis. 



3rd year. — Festuca pratensis the rule, with exceptional cases of F. elatior. 



4th year. — F. elatior increased. 



5th year, 1860. — Festuca elatior has complete possession. 



In reference to this, it will be remembered that we noted in a former 

 Report the occurrence of F. elatior in Earl Bathurst's Park, which we then 

 conjectured had been derived from the sowing of the seed of F. pratensis. 

 Tli is year we have further to remark that here the elatior form is the rule, 

 and scarcely a vestige of the F. pratensis remains; and very coarse and un- 

 sightly it is as a glade in a park. 



We have now performed this experiment twice with the same result, and 

 our views seem confirmed by the accidental case just referred to; we have 

 then no doubt that the three forms just adverted to are but varieties of a 

 single species ; and we have much pleasure in observing that our views in 

 this and other cases of a like kiud, derived from actual experiment, and 

 reported upon to the Association in 1847, should be confirmed by the 



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