BROMUS. 235 



ness and dense panicle of heavy spikelets. The contrast 

 which its more solid form and grey tinted foliage affords 

 to the light panicles and verdant leaves of the surround- 

 ing Poas, is very striking and agreeable. 



It is cried down as useless or worse than useless as a 

 meadow and pasture grass, and experienced agriculturists 

 examine their Rye-grass seed with great care lest there 

 should be any admixture of Soft Brome. But such was 

 not always the opinion of the learned in agriculture. 

 About the commencement of the present century this 

 grass was grown in the district of Kilkenny and other 

 parts of Ireland, and it is reported that the English dra- 

 goon regiments quartered there were ready to give ten 

 shillings a ton more for hay made of Brome-grass than 

 for hay made of Rye- grass. In Withering' s time Brome- 

 grass was often sown among clover. Curtis and Martin 

 both recommend it in their botanical writings, because 

 of its early growth and the largeness of its seeds, which, 

 in their opinion, made the hay more nutritious. 



It used also to be cultivated extensively in Scotland, 

 and Mr. Lawson speaks of the practice, which he strongly 

 reprobates, and makes it account for the prevalence of 

 the grass in the present day. He says, " To that early 

 practice of sowing the Brome-grass may be traced its 

 present appearance in Rye-grass fields, where it is now 

 considered an intrusive weed, indicative of impurity in 

 the Rye-grass seed ; though, like the Wild Oat, and other 

 indigenous annuals, its presence may, at least occa- 

 sionally, be traced to the seeds of former crops retaining 

 their vitality when buried to a certain depth in the soil." 



The present agriculturists of Scotland are in no dan- 

 ger of repeating so useless an experiment as raising 

 crops of Brome-grass instead of Rye-grass. 



