LIGHT SEEDS. 153 
value at one time considered, that in the reign of good Queen 
Bess an Act of Parliament was passed for its protection. 
In no place, perhaps, could a better example of its utility be 
found than upon Lord Leicester’s property at Wells-next-the- 
Sea, in Norfolk. Walking along the beach one cannot help 
observing the high sand-hills formed by the marram grass, 
which constitute a natural boundary to the reclaimed marshes— 
some of the finest pastures in Norfolk. Passing over the hills, 
and descending on the land side, we find sea lyme grass 
putting in an appearance. The nearer we go to the fertile 
land, and the further we go from the sea, so does the marram 
decrease, and the sea lyme grass increase proportionately, 
until the fertile land is quite approached, when the sea lyme 
grass gives way in favour of pasture grasses. 
At the first glance sea lyme grass might well be mistaken for 
marram, but there is some considerable difference between the 
two; the stalks of the former are not so strong as the latter, and 
it is much easier smothered. The seed spikes of the marram 
grass are large and of a silky nature, whereas the sea lyme 
grass spikes are longer still and narrower, and in appearance 
more resemble that of the Zoliwms. Both these grasses have 
the power of retaining their seed in the head throughout the 
winter, and it is only in spring, after the winter storms and 
accumulations of sand have been formed, that sunshine and 
shower causes them to shed their seeds so near to the surface 
that they instantly take root, an arrangement of nature which 
inaterially assists in preventing these grasses being smothered. 
We do not think the seed of this grass finds a place in 
commerce, but anyone desiring samples should not find great 
difficulty in obtaining them if they apply to people living 
where it abounds. 
NETTLES. 
At first one might, think that these weeds would be more of 
a nuisance than otherwise to the farmer, but we have seen so 
