30 



Festuca duriuscula. Hard Fescue. 



Specific character: Panicle oblong ; spikets oblong ; root-leaves bristle-sbaped ; stem-leaves flat. 



Obs.—Dr. Smith observes, " That in this genus it is hard to say what may, or what may not 

 be a species; and he reduces the Festuca glauca, Festuca glabra, Festuca camhrica, Festuca 

 duriuscula, and Festuca ruJbra, of Hudson, Lightfoot, Withering, Winch, and StiUingfleet, 

 &c. into one species. All these grasses vary much from change of soil and situation ; the 

 flowers are particularly apt to vary in number, as well as in the length of their awns: there 

 is one character, however, which I have never found to change under any variety of cul. 

 ture, which is the creeping root ; and this is also an agricultural character of distinction 

 which is never to be lost sight of, as it always produces a sjjccijic effect upon the soil, very 

 distinct indeed from that of the fibrous-rooted kinds. The l)otanical characters given by the 

 learned, being therefore insufficient to distinguish these grasses, (which I have no doubt 

 will be equally so with all the present specific distinctions of plants, when discoveries have 

 been sufficiently extended over every country), 1 will here consider them of two distinct 

 species — the creeping-rooted, and the fibrous-rooted — noting tlieir varieties from otW parts 



■ 



of the plant. This will be sufficient for the purposes of the Agriculturist, and the ktani- 

 cal difficulties may with safety be left out of his consideration ; or at least, to practical 

 men, they will be much less embarrassing, and obviate in a great measure, in these plants, 



the danger of mistake. See E. Bot. 470-2056 j With. Still. Curtis. Lond. 

 Root fibrous. Perennial. 



Experiments.— At the time of flowering, the produce from a clayey loam with manure, is. 



dr. 



Grass, 27 oz. The produce per acre is 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 



The produce of the space, ditto 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 



qr, 



OZ. 



294030 







194 





332313 S 



3 2 



The produce of the space, ditto - .-23 



At the time the seed is ripe, the produce is 

 Grass, 28 oz. The produce per acre 

 80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 

 The produce of the space, ditto 

 The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 

 The produce of the space, ditto 



H 



16079 12 



lbs. 



18376 14 

 8269 9 8 



10106 4 8 

 1004 15 12 



36 

 201 2f 



304920 

 137214 



1 2 

 - 10 2 



7146 9 



19057 8 



8575 14 



10481 10 



446 10 9 



558 5 3 



■The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by leaving the crop till the seed is ripe, ex- 

 ceeding one-half of its value, is - '^--«^_ 

 The proportional value in which the grass, at the time of flowering, exceeds that at the time the seed is ripe. 



as 7 to 3. 



The produce of latter-math is. 

 Grass, 15 oz. The produce per acre ^ ^ _ 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter, 1 dr. 1 qr, per acre 



163350 

 3190 4 



10209 6 



J 



199 6 4 



i 



The proportional value in which the grass, at the time of flower 



mg, exce 



latter-math, is as U to 5 ; and to that at the time the seed is ripe, as 6 to 5. 



eds that of the 



