28 THE GRASSES— SWEET VERNAL. 



more nutritious; and, as the peculiar aroma of this 

 grass gives a relish to and improves the flavour of other 

 grasses, the addition of a moderate quantity of seed to 

 mixtures for permanent pasture is recommended. 



Dr. Paenell found that it constituted a part of the 

 herbage of pastures on almost every kind of soil, 

 though it only attains to perfection in those that are 

 deep and moist. It is said that the flavour of mutton 

 is greatly improved when sheep are fed on pastures 

 where this grass abounds. 



The Seed as imported contains a good deal of sorrel 

 and other weed seeds that are collected with it. It is 

 also very necessary to bear in mind that the seeds of 

 a worthless annual variety (AntJwxanthum Piulli) are 

 in a great many cases substituted for the true Sweet 

 Vernal. It requires a very close examination to dis- 

 tinguish the seeds of the one from the -other. In the 

 true kind the apex of the palea is evenly rounded, and 

 the edge uniformly and finely serrate. The hairs are 

 scattered irregularly over the surface. In the false 

 kind the apex of the palea is roughly serrated, and the 

 hairs are arranged along the midrib and veins and 

 along the edges. Those distinguishing characteristics 

 are not, however, always to be depended on, and would 

 not by themselves be a safe guide. The smell of the 

 seed furnishes some help towards arriving at a correct 

 opinion, but the most reliable test is an examination 

 of the kernel. Rub some of the seed between the 

 palms and blow away the chaff. The kernels of the 

 false kind will be found pale coloured and short, while 

 those of the true kind are dark brown (or almost 

 black) and are more elongated than those of the Puelli. 

 The seed of the true Sweet Vernal {A. odoratum) is, and 



