%\\ §arkntr's Hloiviljlg. 



219 



When eaten down by cattle it is said not to grow 

 again from the same roots, wild sage taices its place. 

 It is a question if it produces seed every year ; and 

 the seed may require two years to germinate. The 

 f esd will likely enable you to give it a botanical 

 place." 



The second communication, dated 8th February, 

 1866, is as follows :— 



" On the 18th December last, I had the pleasure 

 of addressing you, transmitting a pi-eliminary sam- 

 ple of the seed of a very valuable gras ■, called the 

 Bunce Grass, indigenous to the elevated interior 

 parts of British Columbia, and along the range of 

 the Hocky Mountains, in the hope that upon trial 

 such a grass might prove valuable in the Highlands 

 of Scotland. I have now the pleasure of sending 

 an additional sample." 



Mr. Cormack gives the following particulars con- 

 cerning this plant, which has been supplied to him 

 by an observant traveller in the interior : — 



" The nutritious quahties of the Bunch Grass of 

 British Columbia are really surprising. It grows 

 in very poor sandy, gravelly soil, and at very high 

 altitudes, even several thousand feet above the 

 level of the sea, and seems to grow well in places 

 where there is little or no other vegetation. All 

 kinds of live stock fatten very rapidly on Bunch 

 Grass; and the packers in this countiy burn off the 

 old dry grass in the fall of the year, so that they 

 may have a fresh supply.of young grass for their 

 horses and mules in the spring. It makes very 

 good hay, and when perfectly dry loses none of its 

 nutritious qualities." 



With the third letter from Mr. Cormack, the 

 Society received three other species of indigenous 

 grasses from Lake La Hache, near the Cariboo dis- 

 trict, as well as the fbllowing particulars concern- 

 ing them : — 



"No. L Found on coii^paratively low ground, 

 height, 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches. No. 2. A Timo- 

 thy, on low, loamy soil and marshes ; height, 6 feet 

 to 6 feet 6 inches. No. 3. lied Top, lou id on 

 com])aratively low ground and marshes ; height, 3 

 feet 3 inches to 3 feet 6 inches. The Bed Top is 

 allowed by graziers and travellers to be equally 

 valuable with the Bunch Grass ; and the other two 

 sorts, Nos. 1 and 2, are evidently well worth a trial." 



Under the instructions of the Directors, the late 

 Secretary lost no time in placing the seeds, along 

 with the explanatory notes, in the hands of two 

 eminent nurserymen, of Edinburgh, (Messrs. liobt. 

 T. Mackintosh and Peter S. Robertson,) who kindly 

 undertook to p.'ove the seeds ; and the reports of 

 these gentlemen have just been received. 



Mr. Mackintosh's statement is as follows : — 

 " lleferring to the grasses that were sent to me 

 by the late Mr. Hall Maxwell to prove and report 

 upon, I beg to say that I sowed said seeds, and 

 watched their growth very naiTOwly. I have to in- 

 form you, however^ that out of the four samples sent 

 me only two vegetated — No. 1 and No. 4 — and which 

 are quite up to the rescription that accompar)ied 

 them. No. 1, in my opinion is too much allied to 

 the Bent grasses of our country to be any great ac- 

 quisition to our already numerous fir.nily of grasses. 

 No. 4 I think difFeient of from its appearance and 

 succulent nature; growing on poor soils in high 

 situations, it might prove a very valuable addition 

 to the Italian grass family, which in apT^earance it 

 very much resembles, with this in its favor over the 

 Italian, of evidently being much hardier." 



I>Ir. Robertson's report is in the following terms: 

 "In reply to vour flivor of this date (30th Mar.,) 

 regarding the Columbian grass seeds, which I re- 

 ceived from the late Mr. Hall Maxwell, I had them 

 all sown on carefully prepared ground, in April, 

 1866, and the following is the result: — 1st. Grass 

 from Lake La Hache came up pretty well, pro- 

 duced broad, short, soft leaves in abundance, came 

 into flower in August, appeared to be a species of 

 Bromus; the panicles grew to a height cf 1-1 J foot, 

 but had no fertile seeds. The plants had no cover- 

 ing during last winter, and they are looking very 

 fresh and healthy at present. I notice that the 

 growth made by the leaves at this date is far earlier 

 than OTir ordinary grasses, and looks as if it would 

 be nearly as eaily as Bromus Schraderi. I intend 

 to separate the stools during April to increase the 

 plants, and to see if the second year's herbage be 

 stronger than the first year's. 2d. T mothy grass, 

 from same lake as above — only three or four plants 

 of this parcel grew ; these did not flower last year, 

 are at present quite healthy, and reseuible the com- 

 mon Timothy in everj^ respect, but that they arc 

 growmg m :.ch earlier, I purpose to divide the 

 plants cf this also, and as it belongs to a more pro- 

 mising family than the Bromi as a forage grass, 1 

 have a hope it maybe worth attention. 3d. Fescue 

 grass, grew well, leaves long, very narrow is distinct 

 from any of the cultivated sorts, the herbage scan- 

 ty, no flowers produced, and about half of the 

 plants killed during the winter. I suspect this 

 parcel contained two species. The seeds did not 

 look different, but the result as to hardiness seems 

 to indicate a mixture. Of the other parcels none 

 grew with me, and 1 fear that no further germina- 

 tion can bo expected this year.— Ca/cZ. Cliroiiicle. 



J) 



