-> 



84 



- 'f- 



S 



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the experiments shewed the quantity of grass to be equal in both plants ; but the nutritive iiiat. 

 ter afforded by the grass of the Meadow Cat's-tail, in the early part of the spring, was superior 

 to that of the Cock's-foot, in the proportion of 9 to 8. The value of the culms simply, exceed 

 that of the grass, at the time of flowering, in the proportion of 14 to 5 ; a circumstance which 

 gives value to this grass above many others for the purpose of hay ; as its valuable early folj^^g 

 may be cropped to a late period of the spring without injury to the culms, which cannot b 

 effected with those grasses which flower earlier in the season, without incurring a loss of nearly 

 half the value of the crop, as has been proved by former examples. 



Though there is more nutritive matter contained in the seed crop, than in the flowerino- 

 crop, nevertheless, the loss of latter-math which would have been produced in the time tli 

 seed was ripening, would more than outweigh the superior quantity of nutritive matter con 

 tained in the grass of the seed crop. To the practical Farmer this last observation, (which like 

 wise applies to every similar statement throughout these details), is, I am sure, unnecessarv If 

 the season has been dry, this grass should be cut at the time of flowering ; but in moist cloudv 

 seasons it should be suffered to stand at least eight days after the period of flowerinp" in 

 two days after this period it will accumulate more nutritive njatter than it did in ten days pre- 

 vious to that stage of growth, provided circumstances do not interrupt the progress of veg-etatioij 

 which the results of numerous experiments have proved. 



This grass is very deficient in the produce of after-math, and is slow in growth after beino" 

 cropped : these defects take much from the merits above-mentioned. It appears, therefore, to 

 be unfit for cultivation by itself as an alternate husbandry grass, but of great value, as a constitu- 

 ent of any mixture of grasses for permanent pasture, or the alternate husbandry, where it should 

 always form a part. 



In the Annual Register for 1765, we find that it was much recommended about fifty 



year: 



Wyn 



ginia in 1763. It received this quaint appellation from Mr. Timothy Hanson, who first brought 

 Its seeds from New-York to Carolina. It had then a great character in America, where it h 



called Herd-grass. I 



(1815) 



considered the best grass in that kingdom. 



It flowers in the third week of June, and ripens the seed in the end of July. 



Phleum pratense, var. minus. Smaller variety of Meadow Cat's-tail Orass. 



O^^.-This differs from the preceding variety in the dagger-like points which terminate the 

 husks, these bemg longer in this variety, and more recurved or bent outwards ; the husks 

 are arger m every respect, and less ciliated. Culms almost covered with the sheaths of 

 the leaves ; jomts of the culm less swoln; not upright, but ascending, and the root is 

 more like a bulb. These distinctions have continued stedfast after the plant has been 



. . • 1 r ^^iitiiiucu fciteuiasc alter tne piant na^ ^-- 



twice raised from seed. The annexed specimen was produced from the second sowing- 

 The foregoing specimen of the first variety is also of the second sowing; both varieties 



were raised on the same soil, and, indeed n„ tl, u j r u 



Native ^f Tj V . „ ' "laeea, on the same bed of earth, 



i> ative of Britain. Root perennial 



^ 



