m 



dr. qr- 



oz. lbs. 



217800 = 13612 8 



At the time the seed is ripe, the produce is, 

 Grass, 20 oz. The produce per acre > - ■ - 



80 dr. of grass weigh when dry - - 24 } ^ 65340 — 4083 12 



9528 12 



was 



The produce of the space, ditto " . " 96 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter ..21^ _ 7657 = 478 9 



The produce of the space, ditto - - 11 1 



* The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by taking the crop before the seed is per-^ ^^^ ^ ^ 



fected, being one-half of its value, is. 



The value of the grass at each of these stages of growth is equal. The superior weight of 

 nutritive matter afforded by the crop at the time the seed is ripe, arises from the increase of 

 grass which takes place during the time the seed is perfecting ; and in this case as in all otliers, 

 where it is shewn that the nutritive matter of the seed crop exceeds that contained in the flow- 

 ering crop, the loss of latter-math which would have been produced in the time the seed 

 perfecting, must always be considered : this caution is perhaps unnecessary to the judicious, 

 candid, and truly practical Farmer. When the practice of saving the necessary quantity of 

 seed for the farm becomes general, (which I doubt not will happen, though at a remote period), 

 these comparisons between the value of the flowering and seed crops will possess their proper 

 interest. The seed crops of the natural grasses are in general, at least as far as my ohser^^atlons 

 have reached, left too long growing ; the gi^een, or the withered state of the culms, is an 

 uncertain criterion to judge of the ripeness of the seed of the perennial grasses, though ge- 

 nerally good for the different annual sorts. ^ In the greater part of the perennial gr 



e culms are far from being either withered or dry when the seed is ripe, whicli is deter- 

 mined, in almost all cases, by passing the spike or panicle between the fingers; if a portion 

 of the seed separate by this means, it will be found in the best state for collectino-; it 

 should, however, he suffered to reinaui in the ears after heing cut, until the grass he per- 

 fectly dry. When the grass is suffered to remain uncut till the culms are withered and 

 dry, and the seed separates on a slight touch, the OTass is rendered of htlle value, 



asses, 



th 



and the seed not improved in quality; the hest part of the seed is either lost by devouring birds, 

 or insects, or shaken out in the process of cutting and collecting. I have made a number of 

 experiments on the seeds of grasses and other plants, by sowing at different degrees of what is 

 termed ripeness, and the results went always to prove the truth of the above remarks; also 

 that diseased or imperfectly formed seed, always vegetated best when sown directly after being 

 separated from the plant. An ounce of this seed vegetated, by this treatment, in three different 

 trials; the same seed, kept dry for two months only, did not vegetate by the like means em^ 

 ployed in sowing, or any other that I attempted. I have repeated experiments of this nature 

 with much interest and care, but the principle still remained unaltered. 



The produce of latter-math is. 



dr. 



Grass, 9 oz. The produce per acre 



V- oz. lbs. 



98010 = 6125 10 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter - 1 i ., 



" l 1 per acre . . 7914 = 119 



^ From the above results it appears, that this grass is much inferior to the Festuca dumscuh 

 nr the quanttty of Us produce, as well as in nutrient qualities, which will be evident on a com- 

 partson of these properties, as mentioned in the foregoing details. It springs rather earlier than 



y 



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