DACTYLIS. 251 



the eagerness with which sheep, when let into a field at 

 Burnham-Market that had some CockVfoot grass in it, 

 ran over Ray-grass, and everything else, to get a bite of 

 this plant, thought it worth cultivating, and sowed 

 about an acre on the dry gravelly part of his farm, just 

 above the marsh. This spot was the only one, in a 

 large field, that did not burn in the severe drought of 

 1800, and this convinced him of the excellence of the 

 grass." 



This grass soon arrives at maturity, thrives in every 

 variety of situation, produces a large quantity of herb- 

 age, grows very rapidly, and is a favourite with every 

 kind of cattle. It is found in the best pastures of Devon- 

 shire, Wiltshire, and Lincolnshire, and it does not im- 

 poverish the ground as Rye-grass does ; on the contrary, 

 instances have been known of a fine crop of wheat being 

 produced on land for some time occupied by the Cocks- 

 foot grass. It is very excellent as a lawn grass. 



Mr. Wheeler in his 'Little Book on Grasses/ tells 

 us that this grass is getting into extensive cultivation in 

 America, where it goes by the name of " Orchard-grass." 

 He recommends it among those grasses suited " for a 

 poor stiff soil on a clay subsoil." 



- The Tussac-grass of the Falklands (Dactylus ccespitosa) 

 is a near ally of our CockVfoot. It is a very nutritious 

 grass, producing great quantities of herbage, but it is 

 not eligible for general cultivation, because it cannot 

 thrive out of reach of the sea-spray. 



The CockVfoot grass is indigenous in Norway, Swe- 

 den, Denmark, Germany, Trance, Spain, Portugal, North 

 Africa, Russia, and the United States. 



