303 



Phalaris canariensis. Manured Canary-grass. 



Specifii 



tire ; corolla four-valved^ outer smooth, inner villose. 



en- 



Culms from six inches to three feet high, according to the richness of th '1 

 roundish, sonie what compressed ; leaves linear lanceolate, acute, flat, rou^h- flo t 

 compressed, outer convex, inner somewhat concave ; nectary, two fleshy conca 



shaped substances on thq outside of the base of the corolla. Schrad 



Wither 



er; Engl. Bot. 



Native of the Canary Isles, also now of England, France, Spain, and New Zealand. Root 



annual. 



Experiments. —At the time of flowering, the j)roduce from a rich clayey loam on a tenacious 



subsoil, is. 



- 26 

 416 



Grass, 80 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 

 The produce of the space, ditto 



tir. qr. 



oz. 



- 871200 



I 



lbs. 



54450 



283140 



17696 4 

 36753 12 



1 2 

 30 



20418 12 



1876 2 



■ 



This grass has been cultivated in England for the sake of its seeds only, which are esteemed 

 the best for the smaller birds, particularly canaries; whence it takes its name. Its culture here 

 appears to be chiefly confined to the Isle of Thanet. From the results of the above experiments, 

 it proves a great impoverisher of the soil. A given space of a rich clayey loam afforded in the 

 first season 80 oz. of grass, when cut at the time of flowering ; the succeeding year, the same 

 space was well worked and sown, but no manure was applied ; the produce was only 9 oz. On 

 the third year the ground was manured with decayed stable dung, at the rate of ^0 cart-loads 

 per acre ; the given space then afforded 85 oz. of grass. The herbage is but little nutritive, and 

 the plant cannot be recommended for cultivation but for the seeds only, which are principally in 

 demand in the neighbourhood of large cities. • 



Flowers in the first week of July, and the seed is ripe about the end of August. 



