442 
The Herbage of Old Grass Lands. 
between tlie mouths of tlie rivers Vire and Aure, yielded 70 per 
cent, of gramineous herbage and 30 per cent, of leguminous 
herbage. The grasses are the following : — 
Ilordeum pratense, extremely Cynosurus cristatus"] 
common Lolium perenne I in moderate 
Avena flavescens, very common Dactylis glomerata | quantity 
Poa trivialis, common Holcus lanatus J 
The leguminous herbage is composed of Trifolium repens and 
Trifolium pratense, the former largely preponderating. The 
only miscellaneous weeds present are thistle and buttercup, but 
these are utterly insignificant in quantity. Two other pastures 
situated upon the right bank of the Vire have the same bo- 
tanical composition, but with a larger proportion of leguminous 
herbage; this latter indeed, chiefly Trifolium repens, probably 
makes up half the bulk. 
The pastures in the valley of the Auge are devoted exclu- 
sively to the fattening of cattle and sheep, and, in examining 
these grass lands, the obseiTer is at once impressed with the 
purity of the herbage. Save for a few thistles and buttercups, 
representing together not one-fiftieth part of the total herbage, 
there is nothing but grasses and clovers. The thistles are cut 
down and left to wither, in which state they are readily eaten 
by the cattle. The herbage consists of from 50 to 60 per cent, 
of grasses, and from 40 to 50 per cent, of leguminous plants. 
The grasses are : — 
Cynosurus cristatus, very common 
Lolium perenne \ 
Poa trivialis / 
The other grasses are Anthoxanthum odoratum, Poa pratensis, 
Dactylis glomerata, Hordeum pratense, Alopecurus pratensis, 
Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, and Agrostis vulgaris, which 
are present in only small proportions, about equally divided. 
The leguminous herbage is almost entirely Trifolium repens, the 
proportion of Trifolium pratense, which makes up the remainder, 
being small. In fact, Trifolium repens is the most abundant 
and the best grazed plant in these pastures. 
Another pasture, situated on a slope above the same valley, 
and employed for the fattening of horned stock — five acres 
fatting four bullocks — is composed of 50 per cent, grasses and 
50 per cent, leguminous plants. The grasses are : — 
Poa trivialis, very common Phleum pratense 1 
Lolium perenne ^ Alopecurus pratensis I in small 
Dactylis glomerata ^common Agrostis vulgaris [quantity 
Cynosurus cristatus J Anthoxanthum odoratum J 
The leguminous herbage is composed almost entirely of Trifolium 
repens, the I'emainder being Trifolium pratense. 
