I 



NTRODUCTION 



• l« Now, thougli tlic numerous species and 

 the staff of life to the.mQSt valuable domestic ammals ^^ ^^^.^^ 



varieties of grasses differ so widely "^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .f aistinction, without ha.: 



their .wT.ole structure is too great, to afford auy certain m ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^ 



recourse to particular rules, made from a consideration of those p ^viuch 



are not sublet to vary from culture, or change of situation. The botanical or discriminate, 

 characters, of which these rules consist, are, often minute, and sometimes perplexing even to 

 professed Botanists : to those, therefore, who have made Botany no part of their study, the nun. 

 ber and difference of value of all the species and.^rieties of grass, will appear comparatively 

 small, and the necessity and importance of ,^ particular selection proportionally little. The 

 natural consequence resulting from this, is the want of seed, which the Farmer might select from 

 the most valuable kinds, and employ the means of cultivating these, exclusive of the less va- 



luable or useless. , . ; 



■ Grasses have been recommended, by persons who had formed their judgment of their merits 



o^ imperfect, trials, which has caused disappointment, and discouraged many from farther eu- 

 deavours at improvemeiit. Conclusions that are drawn from the results of single or miuute. 

 experiments, without accurately ascertaining the nature or qualities of the soils upon which 

 they are made, will be found often fallacious, and even in the latter instance, can only stand 

 for, single facts, which may lead to other trials, but cannot furnish sufficient grounds for a ge- 

 neral recommendation. Nor should a grass be too hastily rejected ; the results of one trial ouly, 

 will be found insufficient to form a true estimate of its real value: it may be a very profitaLle 

 plant for permanent pasture, though not for the alternate husbandry, and it may be more valuahl 

 for hay than for permanent pasture; for instance, the meadow fox-tail CAIopcamis prafcnsh) 

 is an early, productive, and nutritive grass, but requires a longer period to arrive at perfection 

 from seed than two years : it is therefore, comparatively, unfit foi- the alternate husl)andry, 

 though highly valuable for permanent pasture. The meadow cat's-tail (Thlcxtm pratcnsc) is re- 

 markable for its weighty produce of culms, which are more nutritive than those of any other grass, 

 but the aftermath is very inconsiderable; it is, in consequence, a most valualjle grass for hay, but 

 recpiires to be combined with other species of grass, whose produce consists principally of latter- 

 math, to render its culture so profitable. Cock's-foot (Bactijlis ghmerata) arrives soon at pei- 

 fectipnritis early and abundantly productive of nutritive foliage throughout the season; its 

 culms, or stalks, however, are but little, nutritive : it is therefore most profitable for the alter- 

 nate husbandry, or permanent pasture, where culms are less necessary. Under these different 

 rel^tii.ns, therefore, a grass should be considered, before it be absolutely rejected, or indiscri- 

 minately recommended. But allowing that the diff^rpnt n-,... -i i- • • i, ^ 



•^ "8. '-"'^'' "^e airterent grasses were easily distinguished 



irom each other with certainty and that FarmoT-c „r^„ • • /. , 



, / , P . ' . / ^ ^* ^^^^ "^ possession of the respective seeds, yet 



the length of time It would require to prove the relativn voL.o f -j 1 1 i, f 



1 ,1 , , ^ ^ ^^ "^^ leiative value of any considerable number oi 



he,., by .l,e ,.„al mode of making e.pe™., fo 4i, p„,.p„,,,, „,„, .,,, , ,, 



le„d,„g on fa, tares, would d,sco„rage almost any individual frcn an .„dcnal.in/wl,id,. ho.- 

 ever benefical the i-csults might ultimatelv Drove f„ , I,. • '"'""''"lo """-"• 



with a great and ee,tai„ e.pLe for an l^Irel "'"""''*' "' '"""^' """'" '" """'^ 



e 



he works of Linneeus, Stillinefleet Rnd^.nn P ^- tv/t 

 Botany.'' and many o,he., have'hee ' ^^^^^T' T'"'' "'' """'"" "' ''" " '"" i 



Agriculturist, to a more particular ex^mbr, 7 ^°°^' '" ^'"'"S *« »"""'"" °' 



P war exammafon of the comparative merits of the different 



