122 



3000 trains of the green herbage of . . 



^^^^ 8 C5 O Woody or indigestible Water. Nutritive Matter. 



Siibs^Eibce. 



grains 



Commonxetclh or tares, (Vicia,yzr,satka)r co^^^^^ 557 grains. - 2250 grains. . 193 



r 



MVbhe dover (TrifoUum repensj - - " ^70 - - 2430 - - ]00 



Cock's'foot grass (DactyUs glomerata) - - - ^^^ - " 1740 - - 125 

 Me-ddow fescue (Festucapratensis) - - - 12oO - - 1590 - - 150 



Hence, 1135 grains of the woocly fibre of Tares, are combined with 427 grains of saUne matter* 



White 



1014 ditto 



supe- 



of Cock's-foot grass, is combined with - 900 ditto 



and of Meadow-fescue, is combined with - 600 ditto 



m 



The Tares and White Clover contain, therefore, nearly one-third more of water tha 



r 



natural grasses, Cock's-foot and Meadow-fescue. The White Clover is remarkable for the 

 rior quantity of extractive and saline matters it affords, in proportion to the woody or indiges- 

 tible matter. The excess of water, or superfluous moisture, in Tares, and the small proportion 

 of extractive and saline matters they contain, must render thein a less valuable food in the early 

 pail of spring, when the weather is cold and iiioist, than in the latter part of that season, or ia 

 summer. If some of the natural grasses were cdmbined with the Tares, it would correct this 

 over-succulency of their nature. The annual species of grass appear to be the most proper for 

 this purpose, merely because they soonest afford a supply of herbage from the time of sowing. 

 The Field Brome-grass, (Bromus arvensisj, atld Common Barley, have their nutritive matters, 

 and the proportions of water to that of woody fibre in their substance, more opposite to those 



in the composition of Tares than most other grasses, and therefore promise to be the most 

 useful. 



The different species of the natural grasses differ less from each other, in the composition of 

 their nutritive matters, than they do in general from the different species of Clover or Vetch. 

 But in all the numerous trials I have made on the nutritive matters of the proper grasses, I 

 could never find two species perfectly agree in the proportions of mucilage, sugar, gluten, bitter 

 extractive, and saline matters, of which their nutritive matters consisted. To detail the results 

 of all these processes, would probably be more tedious for tlie Agriculturist to read, than they 

 were to the conductor of the experiments in the performance. , What has just now been stated 

 may be sufficient to shew, in some measure, the degree of importance that is to be attached 

 the properties in question, when making a selection of the most valuable grasses for permanent 



to 



pasture, or indeed for any other purpose for which they are useful. The following grasses ar 

 selected, from those of which specimens have been given in the foregoing pages, as being supe- 

 rior to all others, in one or more of the valuable properties before mentioned : in nutritive qua- 

 lities, early growth, produce, reproductive powers, permanency in the soil, and the facilities they 

 oiFer for their propagation by seed. 



* 



CockVfoot grass, (BacttjUs ghmerata) > ' . ^ _ . _ o bushels. 



Meadow fescue, (Festuca pratensis) 



_ . " r • - . 2 ditto. 



Meadow £Qx-\.m\ gr-dss, (Alopecurus prat ensis) ^ . 1.2 ditto. 



Rough-stalked meadow-grass, (Foa trivialis) ^ ^ . . 2 ditto. 



Tall oat-like soft-grass, (Holciis avenaceus) . ^ ^ - 0^ ditto. 



' - -■ . - ]o lbs. 



Hard, or smooth fescue, r-f'«rf«cac/Mm«c«/a,ce;g/aJr«; - -' 2 bushels. 



Meadow cat's-tail, (Phkum pratensej 



