In fuch diftri&s of Saxony as are celebrated for thegoodneis of their meadows, it always, makes a confi.lerable part 

 of the hay ; and the fame remark has been made by Mr. Stillingfleet and Profeftbr Kalm in England, reflecting 

 the beft meadows about London. 



The Meadow Foxtail is one of thofe graffes which appear firft in the fpring, and fometimes blow twice in the 

 fame year *. In refprct to flowering, it obferves nearly the lame time as the Anthoxanthum odoral-,m. In Germany it 

 puts forth its tilvery fpikes about tli£ beginning of May f j when the feed is ripe, which with us takes place before 

 hay-making J, the fpike remains unchanged in its fhape for feme time ; the little hulks containing the leed may 

 -ealily be ftripped off, bur fall off very (lowly of themfelves. 



Experience proves that the Meadow Foxtail-grafs has a power of vegetating quickly. Its fhoots proceed with 

 fuch vigour, that it may very well be cut three times in a year. Its ftalks are ftrong, and provided with large 

 leaves, which are foft and juicy. Their tafte is as that of good fodder-grafs ought to be, fweetifn and agreeable,, 

 having, when made into hay, neither the hardnefs of ftraw, nor the roughnefs or unpleafant tafte attendant on 

 forne of the other grafles ; we may therefore confider it as holding the firft place among- the good grafTes, either 

 ufed as frefh fodder, or made into hay, especially for the larger cattle. Though the fheep in fuch meadows as 

 abound with this grafs, do not improve in the finenefs of their wool, yet they give a preference to it, both green 

 and dried. On the whole, we may with truth affert, that hay is better in proportion to the quantity of Meadow 

 Foxtail-grafs there is among it ; not to mention that fuch hay has the advantage in the weight, and confequently 

 goes farther than hay made of the finer grafles. 



In the northern countries, Sweden efpecially, the meadows are frequently laid wafte by a mod deftructive cater- 

 pillar, which produces-, a moth called, by Linnjeus, Pbalena graminis: it has been difcovered, that the Alopecurus 

 pratenfn remains untouched by this deftrucf ive infedt ; fo far, therefore, from injuring this grafs, it gives it an 

 opportunity, by weakening and deft roying the others, to extend itfelf farther ; but though its particular tafte or 

 forward growth exempts it from the -ravages of this fpecies of caterpillar, there is another which is particularly 

 fond of it, viz', the Pbalena potatoris, yet. as this feeds fingly on its foliage, and never increafes greatly, it fufFers 

 little from it §. 



As this grafs, therefore, appears to be our author of fo much confequence in the making and improving of 

 meadows and paftures, he proceeds to give fome account how T this improvement may be effected. 



In this bufinefs the firft thing of moment, he obferves, is the neceffary choice and preparation of the ground ; 

 if that be in the power of the cultivator, and as the Meadow Foxtail is found neither to thrive in a foil that is 

 quite dry, or quite wet, he prefers a wet one rendered moderately dry by draining. 



After procuring a pieee of ground naturally fit, or rendered fo by art, he recommends it to be ploughed up 

 immediately after harveft, before the wet feafon fets in, in which ftate it is to remain all the winter; the froft 

 breaking the clods, renders it fit for fowing on in the fpring, at which time you muft throw in your feeds of the 

 Meadow Foxtail, mixed with other proper pafture herbs [|, together with a crop of oats^f; the latter, when fufficiently 

 grown, may be cut for fodder. 



A meadow, thus improved, requires all the care neceffary in the management of meadows ; in particular, a 

 copious watering after hay-making, if the feafon prove unufually dry, muft not be omitted. If after fome years 

 the foil mould become bound, or noxious plants increafe in fuch a manner as to make the meadow lefs productive, 

 which often happens when the foil or fituation is unfavourable, the meadow muft be broken up and frefli fown. 



The procuring of the feed, requifite even for a tolerably large fowing, is attended with but little difficulty, if 

 we can only get fome flips or roots of this grafs. The great number of feeds which grow upon one fpike, of 

 which more than one fpring from each flip ; the double crop in one fummer, and the rapid growth of this grafs, 

 evince this fufficiently. The gathering of the feed itfelf is very eafy ; it needs only to be ftripped off with the 

 hand, and put in a bag, and if there be a large quantity together, fpread out and dried, even the hay-feed of fuch 

 meadows as abound with Meadow Foxtail is ufeful in fowing ; but we muft well obferve how it is mixed : good 

 hay-feed mould contain a greater proportion of grafs-feeds than of other herbs ; the latter muft be efculent and 

 nutritive, without any mixture of hard, woody, or fucculent ones, which corrupt the hay ; much lefs mould it 

 contain taftelefs, acrid, or poifonous plants. But it may be afked, where is fuch hay-feed to be obtained ? 

 Certainly the meadows are rare which contain a mixture of proper plants unadulterated with noxious ones; hence 

 the beft method will be to collecl: feparately the feeds of the moft ufeful graffes and meadow plants, to increafe 

 them fingly, to compound the hay- feed of them, and to fow' therewith, at firft, fmall meadows, from whence we 

 may, in procefs of time, obtain a fufficient ftock of feed for a more general cultivation. 



* This difpofition of graffes to flower more than once in the fame year, is perhaps deferving of more attention than may have hitherto been paid 

 to it. We have noticed it to take place ftrongly in the prefent grafs, the yellow Oat, the tall Oat, and fome others; on the contrary, there is one 

 grafs, via. the Poa firatcnjis, already figured, which we have never obferved to (hew the leaft difpofition to throw up a flowering item twice in the fame 

 year. While this may ferve as an additional character, whereby.it may be d^ftinguifhed from the Poa trivialis, it may alfo recommend it as a fuitable 

 grafs forextenfive lawns, where bents are troublefome, and offend the eye. *We obferved, in treating of the Poa pratenfis, that its root was of the 

 creeping kind; it will probably be found, that all thofe graffes which have that fort of root flower but once in a feafon ; and if we confider a creeping 

 root as fimilar in its ceconomy to a bulb, we (hall not be at a lofs to account for it. 



f Its ufual time of flowering with us. 



+ In the neighbourhood of London", hay-making generally commences three or four weeks fooner than it does fifty miles from town. Whether this 

 practice hath arifen from the riehnefs of foil accelerating the growth of the herbage, or from the meadows abounding more with early graffes, it may 

 perhaps be difficult to determine; but certainly, by thispraaice, we reap all the advantages from thofe early grafles which are loft by longer delay ; 

 and hen<% the feeds of our hay-lofts muft be proportionably better than thofe at a diftance, as early grafs is preferable to late. 



§ In the papers of the Bath Agricultural Society, vol. II p. 79. the Rev. Mr. Swayne of Pnckle Church, in Gloucefterfhire, gives an account of 

 a very minute infect, which, feeding within the hulks of the fpikes, renders them barren ; we fliall quote his own words. " On rubbing out the 

 " hulks, when I judged the feed to be approaching to ripenefs, I found almoft every feed-vefiel occupied by a. foft : fubftance, of a deep yellow or 

 <: orange colour, noways refembHng a feed. On applying the microfcope, this fubft.ince proved to be a congeries of animalcules, which being fliook 

 <■« out on a fheet of white paper, and feparated from each other, difplayed the exaft fhape and motion of thofe infecls which are oftentimes found in 

 " hams and bacon, and which are "known among houfewives by the name of hoppers. The flies likewife, which thefe caterpillars produce, were 

 " found to be very like the hopper flies, only infinitely fmaller." 



|1 We fhould prefer the latter end of Auguft, or beginning of September, for the purpofe of fowing grafs feeds, provided the feafon proved 

 favourable. 



qi Should the land intended to be laid down be very foul, we apprehend, repeated ploughings and harrowing?, and that for more than one feafon, 

 would be necefl'ary. Farmers are divided in' their opinions refpecYmg the propriety of fowing Oats or Barley with grafs-feeds ; fome apprehending, 

 that the corn does the young grafs more harm by robbing it of its nourifhment, than the fhade or flicker afforded thereby does it good. 



