■-' I 



146 



r 



Agrostis canina. Brown Bent. 



Agrostis vulgaris, var. 1, (Dr. Smith); Agrostis canina, (Withering s Arr.) 



t- 



Specific character: Calyx valves nearly equal, blossom valves very unequal ; awn, joiated 

 twice the length of the corolla, fixed just below its middle. 



Obs. — The Agrostis canina of Dr. Smith having only one valve to the corolla, has been by 

 Schrader referred to the genus trichodium. As it is a much less common plant than the 

 vulgaris before described, and as it differs so much from the vulgaris, in the properties 

 which constitute the Farmers distinguishing characters of grasses, the name cawma is here 

 retained. It is distinguished from the Agrostis vulgaris by its panicle, which is larger, and 

 less crowded with florets: the culms are ascending, not so upright as those of the vulgaris^ 



F " 



indeed, by this last distinction it is known at first sight from the other. The awns, which 

 are knee-bent also, leave no room for doubt. The vulgaris is more common to sandy soils; 

 the canina to clayey soils; and is therefore introduced here for the convenience of com- 

 parison. There is another variety of this grass without awns, distinguished from the 

 A. vulgaris by its ascending straws, and meagre wide-spreading panicle. 



Native of Britain. Root fibrous, perennial. 



Experiments. — At the time the seed is ripe, the produce from a sandy loam, is. 



dr. qr, 



Grass, 9 oz. The produce per acre 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 



The produce of the space, ditto 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 



oz. 



98010 







lbs. 



6125 10 







34 

 61 



41654 4 



2603 6 4 



3522 3 12 



2 2 

 5 2 



3828 8 



The produce of the space, ditto 



Of the awnless variety, (Agrostis canina^ var. uiutica), at the time the seed is ripe, the produce is. 



239 4 8 



Grass, 21 oz. The produce per acre 

 80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 

 The produce of the space, ditto 



24 



100 



228690 

 68607 ' 



14293 2 



4287 15 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying - - - _ - _ 10005 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 



3 



The produce of the space, ditto 



1 3 



9 Of 



6253 3 



390 13 3 



awnless 



Agrostis canina exceeds that of the awned variety, is 151.8. 



Those results go to prove that the comparative merits of the Agrostis vulgaris exceed those 

 of the Agrostis canina nearly as 2 to 1. The crop of the awnless variety is greater than that of 

 the awned, but is much less nutritive,* being as 10 to 7 : the spring and autumn produce is like- 

 wise superior. Neither of these varieties appears to be of much value to the Farmer. The rust 

 attacks the culms and leaves of both varieties, which gives the plants a dirty brown appearance; 

 the Agrostis vulgaris is always free from this disease. As this family of grasses has been held 

 in little esteem by Farmers, principally on account of their lateness of flowering, it may be 



of use to bring them into one view, in the order of their parly produce of herbage in the 

 sprmg. 



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