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My friend Sir Humphrey Davy tells the world, that 

 of the two hundred and fifty-five varieties of grass, with 

 which Nature has clothed our surface, man cultivates only 

 two, RYE GRASS and cock's-foot : the former, though a 

 kindly, is by no means a productive grass ; and cock's-foot, 

 far more valuable, was first recommended to the agricul- 

 tural world by myself; for though many of the farming 

 papers mentioned it, I was the first that recommended its 

 cultivation in print; and the only one who, by numerous 

 experiments, investigated its habits and properties, and 

 then made the world acquainted with its value, with my 

 reasons at length for holding it so high as I did. 



Satisfied that information on the subject of the (/ramina 

 was much wanted, I for some years paid great attention 

 to this branch ; and at length, at the solicitation of a noble 

 friend, laid it off as a distinct department for myself, and im- 

 mediately published what I called. An Elementary Trea- 

 tise on the indigenous Grasses of Ireland, requesting 

 assistance and co-operation — proceeding so far as my then 

 knowledge of the subject enabled me, and pointing out 

 the topics upon which further information was wanted. 



I should not have mentioned this Essay, which I pub- 

 lished early in 1806, were it not for a particular passage in 

 it, which may now, when so much attention is brought on 

 fiorin grass, be considered as a matter of curiosity. 



I say in that Essay, 



** There is also a grass which grows in our low grounds, 

 ** that I have heard some farmers talk of with much de- 

 " light ; they call it fiorin or fioreen grass : I have taken 

 " pains to procure some plants, but have not yet suc- 

 ** ceeded." 



Such is my first notice of this vegetable: Quae ab ex- 

 iguis pmfecta initiis, eo creverif, ut jam magnitudine 

 lahoret sua. 



