green 



104 



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la the Memoirs of the Bath Agricultural Society, the Rev. G. Swayne informs us, that the 

 Bush Vetch " shoots earlier in the spring than any other plant eaten hy cattle; vegetates late J 

 the autumn, and continues green all winter. But it is difficult to collect the seeds, as the pods 

 burst and scatter them about, and, moreover, hardly a third part of them will vegetate, being 

 made the nidus of an insect. A patch sown in drills in a garden, was cut five times in the 

 course of the second year, and produced at the rate of twenty-four tons on an acre, of 

 food ; and when diy, would weigh near four tons and a half." The nutritive matter of this 

 vetch, consists almost entirely of mucilage and sugar ; the bitter extractive principle, which 

 exists in the nutritive matter of the leaves of all grasses, is here in a less proportion. The pro. 

 duce in these experiments is less than that obtained by Mr. Swayne, but the difference is to be 

 accounted for from the different soils employed. The plant attains to a considerable height 

 when connected with bushes, and evidently prefers shady situations. But the produce as 

 shewn above, on a middling soil, in an exposed situation, is very considerable; and it maintains 

 its place when once in possession of the soil. Horses and oxen are very fond of it ; I have oh- 



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served them eat it closer to the ground than they did the surrounding herbage of Cock's-foot 

 Tall Oat-like Soft-grass, Ray-grass, and Cow Clover. Its produce is very inferior when cuhi- 

 ^ated on a clayey soil, for which it appears unfit. 



It comes intp flower about the middle of May, and the seed is ripe about the middle and 

 end of June. 



Lolium peremie. Rye-grass^ Ray-grass^ Perennial Rye-grass* 



Specific character: Spike awnless • calyx sliorter than tlie splket. 

 - Ohs. 







lei'ous; as the slender Rye-grass, (var. tenue), 

 (var. compositum); Pacey's Ray-grass, (var 



% 



m. 







and worn out by injudicious cropping; it is distinguished from the other varieties of Rye- 

 grass by its perfectly upright spike, which is slender, and the spikets small, and dis- 

 tant from each other, consisting of 3-5 flowers ; the root-leaves are very narrow, and few in 

 number ; the culms are almost naked, or destitute of leaves. The second variety, (comf 

 situm), grows in a richer soil, or in soils that have been long under grass, and is there, h 

 the most part, confined to beaten parts, as the cart-ways, and sides of paths. It is distin- 

 guished by its short and broad spike, crowded with spikets towards the top ; spikets con- 

 sisting of from seven to nine florets, of a green or purplish colour ; the culm is never up- 

 right, but ascending, and almost covered with the sheaths of the leaves, which are numerous. 

 The third variety, (ramosumj, is more common in rich meadow land than in any other soil ; 

 the spike is nearly upright, spikets shorter, gUm,es more pointed, and the stem furnished 

 with long leaves ; the root-leaves are numerous, and larger in every respect than any of 

 the preceding. I believe this to be the improved, or Pacey's Rye-grass, as it is the most 

 valuable of any of the varieties of Rye-grass ; otherwise, I have been furnished with each 

 Pf these varieties froir, different persons, for the true improved Pacey's Ray-grass. The 



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