THE GRASSES. 
125 
A number more are common to both continents, like the V anilla- 
grass, often gathered for its perfume, and which in Northern Eu- 
rope is called holy-grass, from its being scattei'ed before church- 
doors on holydays ; and the manna-grass, bearing sweet grains, 
which are eaten in Holland and some other countries ; the dent- 
grasses, also, good for cattle, several of which are natives, while 
others have been introduced. There seem to be some twenty va- 
rieties which thus belong to both continents. 
In addition to the preceding, there are upwards of a hundred 
more grasses belonging strictly to the soil ; many of these are 
mere weeds, though othei's are very useful. Among the native 
plants of this kind are nimble-wili, a great favorite with the Ken- 
tucky fanners, and found as far east as this State ; several useful 
kinds of fescue-grass, and soa, one of which has something of the 
fragrance of the vernal-grass, and the reed canary-grass, of which 
the ribbon-grass of gardeners is a variety ; the salt grasses of the 
coast, also, very important to the sea-shore farmers. Among the 
native plants of this tribe we have the wild oat, wild rye, wild 
l>arley, mountain rice, and Avild rice, found in many of the waters 
of this State, both fresh and brackish. 
Altogether, of some hundred and fifty grasses, about one-fifth 
of the number seem of foreigfn origin ; but if Ave consider their im- 
portance to the farmer, and the extent of cultivated soil they noAV 
cover, we must take a different A'ieAv of them ; probably in this 
sense the native grasses scarcely rank more than as one to four in 
our meadoAvs and cultiA'ated lands. 
The clovers, also, though thoroughly naturalized, are most of 
them imported plants : the downy “ rabbit-foot,” or “ stone-clo- 
ver,” the common red A-ariety ; the “ zig-zag,” and the “ hop do- 
