and 'Brbmus p-atensis, as Pasture Plants. 471 



is, the facility with which it spreads and covers the ground round 

 it. It has happened two or three times that I have left as pastures 

 fields sown in rows which were beginning to grow old ; from the 

 first year that the usual ploughing between the rows was left off, 

 the spaces were filled with plants produced by the shooting from 

 the roots, and the following year the rows were quite invisible 

 (although originally 2 ft. apart), and the whole was formed into 

 a complete mat. When the i^estuca is thus allowed to mat 

 together completely, it does not grow high. This property, 

 added to its inclination to spread, renders it very fit for forming 

 lawns or pleasure-grounds ; the more so, as it is of an agreeable 

 green. The leaf is, however, narrow and long, and grows upright 

 when the plant is vigorous : but these characters are much mo- 

 dified when it grows thick like a carpet, and particularly when it 

 is pastured ; I have then seen it make a very pretty sward. The 

 principal disadvantage in making use of it for this purpose would 

 be the expense ; for the flower stems are not numerous, and the 

 seed is very subject to be burnt up, which prevents it from being 

 abundant and cheap. It is true that, with patience, in a few years 

 a turf might be obtained very close and good, from a scanty 

 sowing of seed, such as would be too thin at first. The two 

 other species have also their defects; for what being under heaven 

 is without any ? Thus, it costs more to sow than rye grass, which 

 proceeds principally from their limited use, which causes the 

 increase of the seed to remain limited in proportion ; but, more 

 particularly, they are slow in their growth. When sown on a 

 very dry soil, it is only the second, or even the third, year that 

 the plants have attained their, full growth ; this will not cause 

 astonishment, if we consider the length of time they last, which 

 compensates for having to wait so long. On good soil the case 

 is not the same, at least, as far as regards ^romus pratensis. 

 I have seen it carpet the soil almost as completely the first year 

 as rye grass would have done. 



I have only spoken of these three plants as pasture grasses 

 and turf, uses in which I have been enabled to appreciate their 

 qualities. We may also consider, not the i^estuca ovina, the 

 stalks of which are too slender, but the creeping fescue and the 

 meadow brome, as plants suited for mowing; the latter par- 

 ticularly is abundant in certain upland meadows, where it con- 

 stitutes a considerable part of the hay. I will not undertake to 

 characterise them fully in this respect; the ideas I have of 

 their qualities and defects not being sufiiciently complete or 

 positive to be presented with any degree of utility. 



Barres, April 22. 1841. 



