/ 



230 



Agrostis repens. Creeping-rooted Bent, White Bent. 



Agrostis nigra. (Witliering). Black Coucli-grass. 



Agrostis alba. (E. Bot 1189?) 



Specific character: Panicle scattered; branches bare at the base; florets few; calyx inner v 1 

 smooth; root creeping. 



Obs. — Culms upright, not numerous; leaves slender, generally shrivelled; panicle lar^e 

 widely spreading w^hen in flower; florets thinly scattered; branches of the panicle naked 

 near their union with the main stem. Root strongly creeping. This comes very near to 

 the Agrostis alba of the Enghsh Botany. The difference between this and the precedinp- 

 grass is, perhaps, too little to constitute them distinct species; the culms of the former are 

 decumbent; in this grass they are upright, and the root is more powerfully creeping, li 

 is later in coming into flower, and in perfecting its seed. 



Native of Britain. Root perennial. 

 * Experiments. — At the time of flowering, the produce from a clayey loam, is, 



Grass, 9 oz. The produce per acre 

 80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 

 The produce of the space, ditto 



dr. qr. 



oz. 



lbs. 



98010 



S5 



42879 6 



6125 10 

 2679 15 6 



The weight ]ost by the produce of one acre in drying - - * , , ^ 3445 jO 10 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter . 3 



The produce of the space, ditto - - - - 6 3 



4594 3 



287 2 



Thougli a later growing grass, it is less productive than the preceding. It is subject to the 



rust, and a peculiar disease which dries up the extremities of the leaves, and gives it an 



unsightly appearance. Simple ploughing will be found ineffectual to root out this weed in 



clayey soils. It will be found ultimately the cheapest and most expeditious mode of extirpating 



it, to follow the plough, and fork out the roots. Burning, under such circumstances of soil, 



would doubtless be highly beneficial, but the roots of this Couch-grass penetrate so deep, 



that a considerable part of them would escape; and the least particle of the root soon produces 

 a plant. 



Flowers in the second week of August, and the seed is ripe about the latter end of Sep- 

 tember. 



iA 



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