FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



27 



the scrubby Extra- Australian species, particularly those of 

 the Siberian and Californian steppes, could be transferred 

 advantageously to our salt-bush country to increase its value 

 for sheep -pasture. 



Atropa Belladonna, Linne, 



The Deadly Nightshade. South and Middle Europe and 

 Western Asia. A most important perennial medicinal herb. 

 The highly powerful Atropin is derived from it, besides 

 another alkaloid, the Belladonnin. 



Avena elatior, Linne. 



Europe, Middle Asia, North Africa. This tall grass should 

 not be passed altogether on this occasion, although it becomes 

 easily irrepressible on account of its wide-creeping roots. It 

 should here be chosen for dry and barren tracts of country, 

 it having proved to resist our occasional droughts even better 

 than Rye-grass. The bulk yielded by it is great, it submits 

 well to depasturing, and gives two or three crops of hay 

 annually : it is, however, not so much relished by animals as 

 many other grasses. 



Avena fatua, Linn6. 



Wild Oat. Europe, North Africa, North and Middle Asia, 

 eastward as far as Japan. The experiments of Professor 

 Buckman indicate, that our ordinary Culture-Oat (Avena 

 sativa, L.) is descended from this plant. 



Avena flavescens, Linne. {Trisetum flavescens, Beauv.) 



Yellowish Oat-Grass. Europe, North Africa, Middle and 

 North Asia, eastward as far as Japan. One of the best of 

 perennial meadow-grasses, living on dry soil : fitted also for 

 our Alps. Lawson observes that it yields a considerable bulk 

 of fine foliage, and that it is eagerly sought by sheep, but 

 that it thrives best intermixed with other grasses. It likes 

 particularly limestone soil, where it forms a most valuable 

 under-gTass, but is not adapted for poor sand nor will it stand 

 well the traversing of pasture animals (Langethal). 



Avena pratensis, Linne. 



Meadow Oat- Grass. Europe, North Asia. It thrives well 

 on dry, clayey soil ; it produces a sweet fodder, but not in so 

 great proportion as several other less nutritious grasses. It is 

 perennial, and well adapted for our snowy mountains, where it 

 would readily establish itself, even on heathy moors. Ke- 

 commended by Langethal for arid ground, particularly such 

 as contains some lime, being thus as valuable as Eestuca 

 ovina. Eligible also for meadows under a system of 

 irrigation. 



