On Tussac Grass. 



183 



medium dryness, close to the sea. The moss, scarcely yielding 

 anything previous to its being turned over and enclosed, was 

 delved over and cut into small pieces with the spade, and the 

 seeds sprinkled in and roughly covered with a rake, and trampled 

 in at the same time with the feet. The plants appeared during 

 the following summer and harvest, and in September were ex- 

 amined by Mr. Charles Lawson. seedsman, Edinburgh, who 

 pronounced them to be the real Tussac plant ; the second year 

 the stools were almost as strong as the third, though it is allowed 

 this grass only attains its maturity the third year ; it cast seed 

 the second and third years. Three acres were delved over, of the 

 same deep moss, in spring, 1847, to the depth of 12 inches, and, 

 after it was packed with a hoe, a sprinkling of guano applied, 

 and single plants dibbled in, three feet four inches apart. The 

 whole of this prepared moss is drained three feet deep and 20 

 feet apart, being moss drains, shoulder or wedge as may be found 

 most convenient, according to the consistency of the moss. The 

 plant is succulent, with broad green leaves, and three feet long the 

 second as well as the third year. Many of the stools, when planted 

 out, were found to have 500 plants. From all .1 can see of this 

 grass and itsgrowth (in the latter particularly), it resembles the bent 

 grass which grows on the sandy banks along the sea in the most 

 exposed situations, though differing materially as to their nourish- 

 ing qualities and the soil in which they flourish ; still assimilating, 

 in being so very much improved by culture and cutting, and being 

 capable of being propagated to any extent by planting the tussac 

 in moss, the bent in sand, each thriving best when most exposed 

 to the sea. I think the moss for the tussac should be delved 

 over in January, and a light spading of moss thrown over the 

 surface, out of the bottom of the trench, to keep out the sun from 

 drying up the moss too much : February, March, and April 

 being most advisable for planting, May and June having proved 

 too late and dry for transplanting. Bent grass I have found to 

 succeed when transplanted any time from September to March, 

 and tussac likely the same. 



Holm, 2nd January, 1849. John Scobie. 



To James Matheson, Esq., M.P. 



Note. — March, 1849. Mr. Scobie found the plants to which 

 he had applied sea-ware greener in the leaf and thriving better 

 than the rest. 



Some failures occurred from wet, rising from below in the 

 moss, and also from imperfection in the drainage, and from 

 drought, the peat being liable to become very hard in summer. 

 Sea-ware, strewed on the surface, recommended. 



