The Herbage of PaebWM, 
363 
These plants were dug up in the early spring of 1889, their 
roots were well washed, and then the roots and root-fibres were 
cut through with scissors at various depths below the surface. 
Several specimens of each plant were taken, and the length of 
root after cutting never exceeded three inches, and some- 
times was as little as one inch. The various specimens were 
then planted out in poor soil, and they not only lived, but in 
the course of the summer they all came into bloom. This test 
was far more severe than in the case of the nine-inch depths of 
turf, where there was no transplanting in the true sense of the 
word. Elymus condensatus and Medicago sativa are not British 
pasture plants ; but the former was employed because it is a 
grass far more robust and of much stouter roots than any British 
grass; its roots were severed at a depth of between 1^ and 2 
inches. The latter is a notoriously deep-rooted plant, and the 
section of its roots was made at a depth of three inches. The 
experiment shows that root-section, even of very deep-rooted 
plants, may be performed, without fatal results, at exceedingly 
moderate depths. Moreover, it is a familiar circumstance that 
woody plants, such as rose-trees, may be successfully trans- 
planted at a depth less than nine inches. 
An interesting side-light on this point is afforded, by the 
turfs themselves. Several of them were inadvertently cut less 
than three inches deep. Yet in two of these, Nos. 47 and 48 
(page 373), the most abundant grass was found to be the stout 
deep-rooted species, Daetylis glomerata. 
As the common or trivial names of native plants vary in dif- 
ferent localities, the botanical or systematic names will be used 
throughout. For the reader's convenience, however, there are 
enumerated in the following lists all the plants which it will be 
necessary to mention. To facilitate reference, the species, in 
each of the three series, are arranged alphabetically. In conse- 
quence of the difficulty of separating the herbage of the species 
of Agrostis, I have, in the numerical tables, given them under 
the head of " Agrostis sp." if more than one species has been 
detected. The expression, " Festuca ovina et var.," embraces 
sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina, L.) and its varieties, hard fescue 
(Festuca duriuscula, L.), and creeping, or red fescue (Festuca 
rubra, L.). 
Gramineous Species, or Grasses — Graminece. 
Agrostis alba, I,. .... Marsh bent grass 
Agrostis alba var. stolonifera, L, . Fiorin 
Agrostis vulgaris, With. . . . Fine bent grass 
Alopecurus pratensis, L. Meadow foxtail 
Anthoxanthum odoratum, L. , , Sweet-scented vernal grass 
Avena elatior, L. , , , False oat grass 
