GOLDEN OR YELLOW OAT-GRASS. 



33 



good quality which beasts eat greedily, and should 

 never be omitted from mixtures unless they are des- 

 tined for places quite unsuited to it. 



Curtis says that in excellence it comes near to 

 Meadow Foxtail, for which it may prove no bad 

 substitute. 



Dr. Paenell says it grows naturally in almost 

 every kind of soil, from the limestone rock to the 

 irrigated meadow, and is always present in the richest 

 natural pastures. Thrives best in dry calcareous 

 soil, and does well only when combined with other 

 grasses. It is to be noted that sheep prefer it to 

 most grasses. 



The Seed.— The supply of the seed of this grass is 

 exceedingly small, as it is very difficult to collect. In 

 fact, so scarce is the real article, 

 that a totally different thing, 

 viz., Aira flexuosa, has been 

 quite openly offered and sold 

 for it (see page 35). 



There is a very strong re- 

 semblance between the seeds of 

 the two grasses — that is, to the 

 naked eye — so buyers should be 

 on their guard in this matter. 

 Indeed, when we consider the 

 scarcity and dearness of the seed 

 of Yellow Oat-grass, and the 

 danger of getting instead the seed 

 of a perfectly useless grass such 

 as Aira jiexwosa, it is a question whether it would not 

 be better to omit Yellow Oat-grass altogether from pre- 

 scriptions for laying down land. At the same time, 







Yellow Oat-grass. 



