﻿406 
  Transactions.— 
  Botany, 
  

  

  grass 
  that 
  would 
  cause 
  cows 
  to 
  produce 
  very 
  rich 
  milk, 
  and 
  was 
  then 
  called 
  

   " 
  butter 
  grass." 
  It 
  was 
  much 
  sown 
  and 
  cultivated 
  in 
  Ireland, 
  and 
  was 
  

   there 
  called 
  " 
  fiosin," 
  and 
  highly 
  valued; 
  but 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  fifty 
  years 
  

   the 
  extensive 
  drainage 
  operations 
  have 
  made 
  it 
  less 
  esteemed, 
  and 
  this 
  has 
  

   been 
  brought 
  about 
  by 
  the 
  drains 
  drying 
  the 
  land, 
  and 
  rendering 
  it 
  less 
  

   suitable 
  for 
  its 
  growth, 
  but 
  on 
  damp 
  lands 
  it 
  is 
  very 
  valuable, 
  as 
  my 
  experi^ 
  

   ments 
  prove 
  to 
  me. 
  Wherever 
  I 
  sowed 
  it, 
  upon 
  damp 
  or 
  swampy 
  lands, 
  it 
  

   gave 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  exceedingly 
  valuable 
  herbage, 
  and 
  was 
  eagerly 
  

   sought 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  animals, 
  who 
  fattened 
  upon 
  it 
  rapidly. 
  It 
  has 
  proved 
  

   itself 
  a 
  good 
  grass 
  for 
  damp, 
  undrained, 
  or 
  swampy 
  lands, 
  also 
  along 
  the 
  

   edges 
  of 
  streams, 
  or 
  creeks 
  near 
  ground 
  too 
  moist 
  for 
  other 
  nutritious 
  

   grasses 
  to 
  succeed. 
  

  

  Brnmus 
  oiiarijinatus. 
  — 
  This 
  excellent 
  grass 
  should 
  be 
  introduced 
  into 
  all 
  

   mixed 
  pastures, 
  as 
  it 
  grows 
  all 
  through 
  the 
  winter 
  season 
  and 
  withstands 
  

   the 
  ground-frosts 
  that 
  bring 
  so 
  many 
  other 
  grasses 
  to 
  a 
  standstill, 
  while 
  

   its 
  abundant 
  foliage 
  gives 
  an 
  amount 
  of 
  feed 
  during 
  the 
  cold 
  wet 
  weather 
  

   that 
  live 
  stock 
  seem 
  greatly 
  to 
  relisli. 
  Wo 
  may 
  look 
  upon 
  this 
  as 
  a 
  very 
  

   valuable 
  winter 
  grass 
  in 
  these 
  latitudes, 
  and 
  a 
  most 
  useful 
  introdnction 
  into 
  

   all 
  moderately 
  open 
  alluvial 
  or 
  loam 
  lands. 
  

  

  Androjiorjon 
  hunger. 
  — 
  This 
  fine 
  grass 
  is 
  indigenous 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  parts 
  

   of 
  Eastern 
  Australia. 
  When 
  growing 
  it 
  here, 
  I 
  found 
  it 
  began 
  to 
  shoot 
  

   when 
  the 
  warm 
  weather 
  set 
  in, 
  and 
  continued 
  to 
  grow 
  during 
  the 
  summer, 
  

   and 
  seeded 
  in 
  the 
  autumn 
  ; 
  its 
  short 
  thickly 
  set 
  leaves 
  were 
  much 
  relished 
  

   by 
  sheep, 
  horses, 
  and 
  cattle, 
  and 
  analysis 
  showed 
  they 
  were 
  nutritious 
  and 
  

   fattening. 
  

  

  Basiita 
  grass. 
  — 
  The 
  seed 
  of 
  this 
  grass 
  was 
  sent 
  me 
  to 
  test, 
  and 
  upon 
  

   sowing 
  it 
  in 
  tilled 
  loamy 
  soil 
  it 
  came 
  up 
  freely, 
  and 
  shooting 
  out 
  formed 
  a 
  

   thick 
  sward 
  ; 
  its 
  seed 
  ripened 
  in 
  abundance 
  ; 
  this 
  was 
  sown 
  down 
  and 
  

   rapidly 
  covered 
  the 
  ground, 
  showing 
  that 
  this 
  climate 
  suited 
  it. 
  It 
  gives 
  a 
  

   large 
  quantity 
  of 
  herbage, 
  and 
  is 
  green 
  here 
  summer 
  and 
  winter, 
  and 
  if 
  not 
  

   too 
  closely 
  fed 
  or 
  cut 
  down, 
  always 
  shows 
  rapid 
  growth; 
  stock 
  like 
  it. 
  I 
  

   think 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  of 
  great 
  benefit 
  mixed 
  with 
  other 
  grasses 
  as 
  it 
  holds 
  its 
  

   own 
  place 
  amongst 
  them. 
  

  

  Brumus 
  ciliare. 
  — 
  This 
  fine 
  fattening 
  grass 
  produces 
  an 
  abundance 
  of 
  

   seeds 
  that 
  arc 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  prairie 
  grass, 
  and 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  more 
  

   spreading 
  habit 
  than 
  prairie 
  grass, 
  it 
  resembles 
  it 
  in 
  general 
  character, 
  but 
  

   possesses 
  the 
  merit 
  over 
  prairie 
  grass, 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  bear 
  feeding 
  by 
  stock 
  

   better, 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  easily 
  destroyed, 
  still 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  well 
  adapted 
  for 
  close 
  

   feeding 
  as 
  some 
  other 
  grasses 
  named, 
  but 
  proves 
  itself 
  an 
  excellent 
  grass 
  

   for 
  hay. 
  It 
  grows 
  all 
  the 
  winter 
  and 
  during 
  summer, 
  if 
  the 
  drought 
  is 
  not 
  

   too 
  long 
  continued, 
  and 
  starts 
  afresh 
  after 
  the 
  least 
  rain. 
  

  

  