THE GRASSES— WATER MEADOW GRASS. 93 



occasionally flooded. It is apt, by its rapid growth and 

 creeping roots, to choke up ditches and small streams. 

 It is one of the tallest and at same time most productive 

 in herbage of all the British grasses. 



Chaeles Johnson also refers to its tendency to choke 

 up streams (and even slow rivers) by its roots, and thus 

 to constitute a formidable obstacle to the improvement 

 of the land by drainage. 



Mr. Maetin J. Sutton says it is nutritious, and gene- 

 rally liked by cattle. In the Fen districts it forms a 

 large part of the herbage, and yields abundant crops of 

 hay. It may be included in permanent mixtures for 

 undrained clay. 



Moeton's Uncydopcedia says that this is ihe most 

 productive in herbage of any of the British grasses, and 

 it is astonishing that its cultivation should hitherto 

 have been so little practised, seeing that it might be 

 used advantageously both for the summer and winter 

 feed of cattle. On the banks and small islands of the 

 Thames, as well as in the fens of Cambridge, Lincoln- 

 shire, &c., it is generally mown twice in the year and 

 dried in sheaves for hay (which improves by under- 

 going a slight heat in the rick). On lands intended for 

 irrigation it may be sown at the rate of 4 to 6 lbs. per 

 acre either in autumn or in spring. 



At Woburn, grown on a strong tenacious clay, it gave 

 at time of flowering — 



Tons. cwts. qrs. lbs. 



Grass, per acre . . . . 56 10 i 8 



Yielding hay , . . . 33 18 o 21 

 Cut at the time of seed ripening, it 



gave of grass . . . . 54 '3 3 12 



Yielding hay . . . . 27 6 3 20 



