ON THE CULTIVATED GRASSES 



grass," described by Humboldt in the " Nova Genera et Species Plantarum.'' It is a 

 strong coarse grass, growing in large tufts or tussocks, with leaves from eight to ten feet 

 in length. As a- feeding plant it is of no value, but it might be profitably employed 

 as a fixer of loose sand-banks, or on the margins ot rivers ; while its quick growth and 

 hardy nature point it out as an excellent cover for game, and it is now one of our best 

 recognised Ornamental grasses. 



Numerous additional species of grasses and other herbage plants have been brought 

 into cultivation within the last thirty or forty years, which are not included in the pre- 

 ceding enumeration, from the dates not having been ascertained. Of these may be men- 

 tioned wood meadow-grass, i" nerved-seeded meadow-grass, J various leaved § and darnel- 

 spiked || fescue -grasses, float-fescue or floating sweet-grass,1T hill-mustard,** Moliner's 

 clover,tt &c. 



The repeated saving of rye-grass seeds from first crops by the earlier growers resulted, 

 towards the end of the last century, in the prevalence of a short-lived variety, afterwards 

 termed Annual Rye-grass, and unfit, in many cases, for the laying down of land to two 

 or more years' pasture ; which naturally directed attention to the selection of a more last- 

 ing variety. Accordingly, we find that this desideratum was then supplied by Mr Pacey, 

 of North Leach, Wiltshire, whose Perennial Rye-grass, as it is still called, soon became 

 known throughout both Scotland and England. Mr Pacey's example was followed by 

 many other cultivators, each of whom discovered, or fancied he had discovered, a variety 

 possessing new or additional merits, so that, prior to the publication of the " Hortus 

 Gramineus Woburnensis" in 1824, Dickson's, Ruck's, Russel's, Stickney's, Whitworth's, 

 &c., had been introduced. Since that period, names of other particular growers have 

 been added to the list ; so that it now requires no little discrimination to fix on what 

 are really the most deserving of cultivation. About 1830, Mr. T. Bishop, at Methven 

 Castle, Perthshire, brought out an Evergreen Variety of the wood meadow-grass.JJ In 

 1833, we introduced from France the Double Yielding Sainfoin,§§ a very luxuriant 

 growing variety. The Tree Clover from Bokhara,|| || a tall variety of white melilot, 

 which attains a height of from 10 to 16 feet, created a little sensation in 1839, 

 when first brought to this country. In the following year, a very early, but rather 

 dwarf-growing, variety of Lucern from AflEghanistan.HH was received through the 

 East India Company; and in 1841, we introduced from Hamburg two strong growing 

 grasses, the one a variety of Cocksfoot,*^;.* and the other of the Wood Meadow- 

 grass,ttt both, however, not now in commerce. In the same year, we received from 

 the Botanic Gardens of Berlin seeds of a very succulent and rapid-growing grass, under 

 the name of Bromus Schraderi, which, on first trial, seemed to be possessed of highly 

 important qualities, but was found too tender for the severe winter of 1844-45. ^^ i844) the 

 Bulbous Barley-grass XW was noticed in the " Bon Jardinier" as being naturally well 

 adapted for chalky and other dry calcareous soils, and has since been found to succeed 

 on such in the south of England; for which localities the Villous Wheat-grass §§§ was 

 also recommended about the same time ; but being of diminutive growth, and only ot 

 biennial duration, its culture has not been attended with equal success. 



* Gynerium argenteum t Poa nemoralis + Poa nervata 



§ Festuca heterophylla || Festuca loliacea IT Poa aquatica 



** Bunias orientalis -H Trifolium Molineri ++ Poa nemoralis sempnvirens 



§§ Onobrychis sativa Hfera || || Melilotus leucantha majot HIT Medicago siAva. prcecox 



** Dactylis glomerata ^igantea +tt Poa nemoralis gigantea XXX Hordeum bulbosum 



§§§ Triticum villosum 



