AGRICULTURAL GRASSES 41 



of sheep penned on it. The crop was ready again at one 

 end of the field as soon as the sheep had finished at the other. 



The roots feed on the surface, and the plant will thrive on 

 the thinnest soil. So vigorous is the growth that weeds are 

 crowded out, and in my opinion Bromns Schrccderi has not 

 been cultivated in England to the extent it deserves. 



This is the Prairie Grass of Australia, and is of immense 

 value as a fodder crop in the arid districts of that country. 

 It will therefore be inferred that wherever drought is prevalent, 

 especially for long periods, it is desirable that an experimental 

 plot should be sown, as the plant may prove to be of great 

 service. 



CYNOSURUS CRISTATUS 



(Crested DogstaiT). 



One of the chief grasses of British agriculture. Asso- 

 ciated with Hard Fescue and Sheep's Fescue it may be said 

 to compose the best of our sheep pastures. It constitutes a 

 valuable bottom grass, and is supposed to exercise a beneficial 

 influence in the prevention of foot-rot. Certain it is that 

 sheep show great partiality for the leaves, eating them down 

 so closely that there would be a danger of the plant being 

 exterminated were it not for the fact that the seed-culms soon 

 become hard, and are then rejected by the animals, with the 

 result that seed is matured and shed copiously almost every 

 season. Superficial observers have occasionally misnamed these 

 stalks ' bents,' and have depreciated the grass accordingly. Up 

 to the time of forming seed these stalks do no harm, but the 

 actual production of seed interferes greatly with the aftermath. 

 To prevent this injury, and because it is needless to allow seed 

 to be shed every year, it is sometimes worth while to put the 

 mower over the pasture in the early part of July to take off 

 the rising culms. The stalks have been used as fine straw in 

 bonnet-making. 



