54 



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Bromus arvensis. Field Brome-grass. 



Specific character : Panicle almost upright; spikets linear spear-shaped, compressed, naked; 

 flowers imbricated ; awn straight, about the length of the husks ; leaves villous. 



0^5.— Culms from two to three feet in height ; more or less declining at the base, after- 

 wards erect, roundish, striated, smooth. Panicle generally six inches in length, many. 

 flowered ; main branch, or stem of the panicle, striated, smooth below, above flexuose. 

 Spikets greenish on the upper side, and of a purplish brown on the other. This species 

 resembles, in some measure, the Bromus multiftorus ; but the spikets being much more linear, 

 and the brown or purple tinge on the under side of the spikets, readily distinguish them. 



Native of Britain. Root annual. E. Bot. 920 : Host. t. 14 ; Flo. Ger. 



Experiments. — ^At the time of flowering, the produce from a sandy loam^ is, 



r 



dr. qr. <»• lb'- 



Grass, 35 oz. The produce per acre, is, - - - 381150 == 23821 14 



190575 = 11910 15 



- 23821 14 = 1488 13 U 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry - . 40 



The produce of the space, ditto - - 280 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying ------ II910 15 



04 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter - 4 



The produce of the space, ditto - , - - 35 

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



h 



Grass, 10 oz. the produce per acre 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter - 1 2 per acre - ^o^^l 5 = 147 



The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by leaving the crop till the seed be ripe, exceeding 



ten times its value, is - - - ^ ^^^^ "^^ ^'^ 



108900 == C8O6 4 



\ 



This species of Bromc-grass appears, from the results of all my observations, to be confined 



lilt if! i 



Bromus mollis, are chiefly found to prevail on poor or exhausted grass lands. They are all 

 strictly annual. This species appears to be the most valuable of the three. When this grass is 

 mown at the time of flowering, it affords a considerable weight of nutritive hay ; but when 

 left uncut till the time the seed is ripe, it is then comparatively of no value, which is manifest 

 from the above details. All these annual bromes are considered bad grasses by the Farmer. 

 This much, however, may be said in favour of the Field Brome-grass, that it affords an early 

 bite m the sprmg, and is eaten by sheep and lambs equally with other grasses. It exhausts the 

 sod but little ; the roots penetrate to little depth in the earth. The seed falls from the husks 

 as soon as ripe, and vegetates quickly among the root-leaves of the perennial grasses, and be- 

 fore autumn draws to a conclusion, attains to a considerable size. This grass withstands the 

 effects of frost better than many of the superior pasture grasses : hence it is among the early 

 grasses, which afford the principal herbage in the beginning of spring. Being strictly an annual 

 plant, Its existence another year depends on suffering it to perfect its seed, and, as before stated, 

 the value of its produce at this stage of growth is very little ■ so that its merits are reduced to 

 this one, the produce of eariy herbage in the spring, which will appear insufiicient to recom- 

 mend it tor the purposes of cultivation. 



It flowers in the second week of June, and till A„ * v i ^ . , 'ri,P 



J. . . , ^ , ,^ ' ^"^ *"i August It sends up flowering culms. The 



seed IS ripe m the first week of July, and successivpl,. till *i, '^^^ re , 



•^ feuccessively till the middle of September. 



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