J-*^ 



INTRODUCTION. 



' * ■ ■ 



DrsTr...:sHED Agriculturists and Farmers agree in opinion, that the knowledge of the 

 comparative mer^s and value of all the different speeies and varieties of Grasses, and cons 

 quently, of the best mode of cultivating them, is very much behind that of the other b:anche; 

 ot Practical Agriculture. 



Raygrass CLolknn p.remej was till lately the only species employed for ttaki„» „.ifieial' 



pre, : ,. ,™ indebted n,o,t prol.nHy for this distinetion. to it, property „f ripeninj an ab„n- 

 danee of good seed, and it, ready growth in most kinds of soil 



Mystery of Hasbandry, diseovered, and laid open, by I. VYoUridge, IMl." "- Ray-^,1 » 

 ays be, ■■ by wb.eh they improve any cold, sour, clay, weeping land", for which it is Lit t. 

 good also for d„er upland pounds, especially stony, light, or sandy lands, which is unfit 

 .a,nfon,, ha.b the precedence of ,1, other grasses"^.hese are ■■ sainfliu, lucerne, clo™, t „s 

 spnrrey, and trefod." which include all .be plants he .nentions as grasses. The ace nro' 



■ZaUrgled ■ • *' """' "' °""-"" '-'''"^' -— ^'-^ »■■ '-'S'- -'^ 



year?src!' "T"""' f "' °""'' '""'" °' ^'-'''"'' «'"^ ''"'"^ ™"i™'' "" ='»ou. forty 

 «. . ad It: Z \ f ^'''"'~ '"""-^ '-'' »»■■"""'' — "'M fo^ cult" 



extended, so as to supersede the use of ray.grass in son,e district,, throu.-b the examnle and 



recommendat.onofMr. Coke of Norfolk. . , »"»n tM example and 



Thus on, of 2,5 distinct species of grass, which are capable of being cultivated in this 



dinary , but there have been serious difficulties in the way 

 wbel heT'llZ ''"■T T'°" " "''«"'^ '-"^ ""^ ™»* "'"'•^ »"<• » l-"*a"<lma„. 



,pec°es of : :?:h:, :,:it7\'°'' r "™ *"""'"' "'''*^"* ••^""- '-^"^ 



had a nam:, besides th e 2 7 7 1 " """"' ^"'" '"' '^"^ ^"^'^ '"™ ^""-'^ 

 that have be,„ ■ 1° *''"' '"^'y y""»; ""'* ""o '«» Pa«icular names 



« ratte\!:::iet^r::r "''"-r %^"7^"^^ 



x>^.. , . . ^^ *^'' ™°'* common and useful tribe of plants is yet in its infancy*." 



Bo an t h,,e ascertamed that there are 133 distinct species and varieties of grass, natives of 



thel 1> ' ^-7. °" "' ''"' ^P^"*^^ '^^^^^' - ^ ^-« - g'--*- <i^g-^' fr- ^11 others, in 



,ZtT7 : r'" ''^" °' ^^^'^^ *° *^^ ^™-= — P-tively speaking, some 

 grasses are of no value to hm, whilst others constitute the foundation of his riches, as they are 



* Martjn's Letters on the Elements of Botany. Letter xiii. 



b 



