Indications of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 577 
Natural Grasses, which are indications of Fertility by reason of their electing to 
grow on all the richest, best, and most fertile Pastures in England, and by their 
usurping the greatest portion of the surface of such Pastures. 
Botanical Naues. 
English Names. 
Alopecurus pratensis 
Anthoxanthum odorntum 
Avenaj)ratetisi3 
Avena flavesccns 
Agrostis stolonifer.a lati- 
foUa. 
Bromus arvensis , » 
Cyiiosunis crist^itus . 
Dactylis glomerata . 
Festuca pratensis . . 
Festuca diiriuscula . 
Hulcus aveiiaceus * . 
Hordeum pratense • • 
Loliuin pcreniie . . 
Phleura piateust? var ma- 
jor. 
Poa annua . , . 
Meadow fox tail . 
Sweet-scented vernal 
grass. 
Meadow oat grass 
Yellow oat grass 
Broad-leaved creeping 
bent or fiorin. 
Field brome glass , 
Crested dog's-tail grass . 
Cocksfoot grass , . 
Meadow fescue . . 
Hard fescue giass 
Tall oat-like soft grass , 
Meadow barley grass . 
Bye grass ... 
Greater meadow cat's-tail 
grass. 
Annual meadow or Suf- 
folk grass. 
Observations. 
This grass constitutes a large portion of the 
herbage of the best and richest pastures 
and meadows in England, and is very 
grateful to cattle. 
This grass forms a portion of the herbage on 
all soils. It is found rather abundant on 
wet lands. It does not appear to be a pro- 
fitable grass to the farmer, but its presence 
is always pleasing, on account of the de- 
lightful odour it gives to newly-mown hay. 
This is not a very productive grass, but it is 
liked by stock, and forms a useful consti- 
tuent, in company with others of a supe- 
rior kind. 
Cattle are not very fond of this grass, but it is 
very useful in water-meadows. It is the 
best of the kind for the farmer. 
Tlie root of this gr-ass is a troublesome weed, 
and known as squitcli. However, it 
appears to be an essential constituent in a 
smaller proportion of all fertile meadows, 
and is an excellent water-meadow grass, 
where the water issues from calcareous 
rock. 
This grass is not very much relished by 
cattle, and it is found in all neglected pas- 
tures ; and, although rather a coarse grass, 
its presence in small quantities need not 
be an object of complaint. 
This grass is found in all good pastures, and 
seems to grow on all soils, but with dif- 
ferent degrees of luxuriance. It appears 
to be more suitable for pasture than 
meadow to be mown. 
This grass is very productive, and is not dis- 
liked by cattle. It will grow under trees, • 
and its presence indicates clay to be a con- 
stituent of the soil. 
This grass is Ibnd of a rich soil, and consti- 
tutes a large portion of tlie herbage of all 
our best sward-land, and is useful in water- 
meadows. 
This is an excellent grass for the farmer, and 
is grateful to stock. It is found to be an 
essential constituent of down pastures as 
well as of meadows. 
This grass produces an abundant crop of 
rather liglit spongy hay, and is not very 
agreealile to stock ; but will always be a 
desirable constituent, in moderate propor- 
tion, of all tl>e best meadow-land. 
This grass is not one of the best for the 
farmer, but in some soils it is very useful, 
where found in not too great a proportion. 
This is a must excellent grass on lightish, 
sandy, chalky soils ; and, for early spring- 
feed, is justly esteemed. 
This grass is rather coarse, but liighly vahi- 
able in a due proportion, wliich should be 
rather small in comparison witli some of 
the otliers named. 
This grass is not productive, but is desirable 
as a constituent of pasture-land, forming 
the under crop. It is liked by stock. 
• The hay-crop of 1844, in the noighliourhood of Cirencester, is almost entirely composed of this 
grass, except that of water-meadows, whicli is principally the Poa trivialis. The Hulcus (uenaceus 
stood the extraordinary dry weather this season better than any other grass. — J. B. 
