G R A 
the ground two fpits and a (hovelling deep, turning 
all the couch into the bottom, where it will rot, and 
never (hoot up ; but this can only oe piattiied, where 
there is a fufficient depth of foil ■, for in fh allow ground 
the roots cannot be buried fo deep, as to li - belov/ 
the depth to which they naturally (hoot. 
Where the roots of this Grafs get poffeffion in ara- 
ble fields, it is very difficult to root out again j the 
ufual method is by laying the land fallow in fummer, 
and frequently harrowing it well over to draw out the 
roots : where this is carefully pradtifed, the ground 
may be fo well cleaned in one fummer, as that the 
roots cannot much injure the crop which may be fown 
upon it ; but iuch land (hould be cropped with Beans, 
Peas, or fuch things as require the horfe-hoeing cul- 
ture •, for where the land can be frequently ftirred and 
harrowed afterward, it will be of great Service in 
cleaning it from the roots of this Grais and other bad 
weeds. The blade of this Grafs is fo rough, that cat- 
tle will not feed upon it. 
The fecond fort is frequently cultivated,^ efpecially 
in ftrong cold land, upon which this Grais will Suc- 
ceed better than any other fpecies, and is an earlier 
feed in the fpring but this is a very coarfe Grafs, 
and unlefs it is cut very early for hay, it becomes hard 
and wiery in the (talks, fo that few cattle care to eat 
it ; for this fpecies has but few leaves, running all to 
ftalk, fo is ufually called Bents, and in Tome counties 
Bennet •, when this grafs is fed, it will be proper to 
mow off the Bents in the beginning of June, other- 
wife they will dry upon the ground, and have the ap- 
pearance of a ftubbie field ail the latter part of fum- 
mer •, fo that it' will not only be very difagreeable to 
the fight, but alfo be trcublefome to the cattle that 
feed on it, by tickling their noftrils ; fo that the 
want of better pafture only, will force them to eat of 
the young Grafs which fprings up between thefeBents, 
for thofe they will not touch •, therefore thofe who 
fuppofe that thefe are eaten in Scarcity of feed by the 
cattle, are greatly miftaken •, for I have many years 
clofely attended to this, and have always found thefe 
Bents remaining on the ground untouched, till the 
froft, rain, and winds, deftroy it in winter ; and, by 
permitting thefe to (land, the after-growth of the 
Grafs is greatly retarded, and the beautiful verdure 
is loft for three or four months ; fo that it is good 
hufbandry to mow them before they grow too dry, 
and rake them off the ground : if thefe are then 
made into the hay, it will ferve for cart-horfes or 
cows feed in winter, and will pay the expence of mow- 
ing it. 
There is another fpecies of this Grafs called Red Dar- 
nel, which is of a worfe nature than the firft, the 
(talks growing hard much fooner, and having nar- 
rower leaves. This is very common in moft pafture 
grounds, for as it comes early to (lower, fo the feeds 
are generally ripe before the hay is cut, and from the 
falling feeds the ground is fupplied with plenty of 
this iort ; therefore thofe who are defirous to keep 
their paitures as clear from this Grafs as poffible, 
(fiould always mow it before the feeds are ripe. 
This Grafs is ufually fown with Clover, upon fuch 
lands as are defigned to be ploughed again in a few 
years, and the common method is to fow it with 
Spring Corn ; but from many repeated trials, I have 
always found, that by fowing thefe feeds in Auguft, 
when there has happened a few (howers to bring up 
the Grafs, that the crop has anfwered much better than 
any which has been fown in the common way •, for the 
Grafs has often been fo rank, as to afford a good feed 
the fame autumn *, and the following fpring there has 
been a ton and a half of hay per acre mowed very 
early in the feafon, and this has been upon cold four 
land ; fo that I am convinced of that being the bed 
feafon for fowing thefe Graffes, though it will be very 
difficult to perfuade thofe perfens to alter their prac- 
tice, who have been long wedded to old cuftoms. The 
quantity of feeds which I allow to an acre is about 
two bufhels, and eight pounds of the common Clover, 
which, together, will make as good plants upon the 
ground as can be defired ; but this is nor to be pram 
tiled upon Inch lands where .the beauty of the verdure 
is principally regarded, therefore is fit for thole who 
have only profit in view. 
The third and fourth forts are the two bed fpecies 
of Grafs for paitures, io that if the feeds of there were 
carefully collected and (own leparately without any 
other mixture of Grafs-feeds, they would not only af- 
ford a greater quantity of leed on the fame (pace of 
land, but the Graft would alfo be better, the hay 
fweeter, and the verdure more lading than of any 
other forts ; but there requires feme attention to the 
faving of thefe feeds pure without mixture. I have 
tried to lave the feeds of feverai fpecies of Grafs (se- 
parately, in order to determine their qualities, but 
have found it very difficult to keep them diftindl in 
gardens where the feeds of other (arts of Grais have 
been fcattered : the only method in which I could (uc- 
ceed, was by fowing each fpecies in a diftindt pot, 
and when the plants came up, to weed out all the 
other kinds of Grais which came up in the pots ; by 
this means I preferved a great variety of the graffy 
tribe feverai years, but not having ground enough 
to propagate the moft ufeful fpecies in any quantity, 
I was obliged to abandon the purfuit : but I muft re- 
commend this to perfons of ieifure and (kill who have 
a fufficient quantity of land for the purpofe, to carry 
this project into execution, which may be of lingular 
benefit to the public for we have an inftance of the 
advantage which the inhabitants of the Netherlands 
have made, by faving the feeds of the White Clover, 
or Honeyfuckle Trefoil, which is a plant common to 
moft of the Engliffi paitures ; yet few perfons in this 
country ever gave themielves the trouble to collect 
the feeds from the fields for fowing, but have pur- 
chafed vaft quantities of this feed annually, at a con- 
fiderable price from Flanders, where the peafants have 
been fo induftrious, as to collect the feeds and fow 
great quantities of land with it, with a view of (ale to 
this country only. This is not an inconsiderable ar- 
ticle in hufbandry, but deferves the attention of all 
thofe, who, by choice or otherwife, are engaged in 
the bufinefs of agriculture •, for one acre of land will 
produce as much feeds of this fpecies of Trefoil, as 
will fell for 12 1. wheie it is well planted and laved 
from the fpring crop ; and if the Grafs-feeds before- 
mentioned were Separately fown, and carefully weeded 
from all other fpecies, and permitted to (land till 
their feeds were ripe, it might be of equal advan- 
tage with the other, efpecially now, when every gen- 
tleman is endeavouring to improve the verdure near 
their habitations. 
The fifth and fixth forts are alfo, very good Graffes 
for paftures, and have perennial roots, fo are the next 
bed forts for fowing to thole before-mentioned, which, 
in my opinion, delerve the preference to all the 
other; but as it will be difficult to lave a fufficient 
quantity of feeds of thofe alone, to Supply the de- 
mand which may be for their Seeds •, So thefe two fpe- 
cies may be admitted in aid of the other, as they are 
very leafy kinds of Grafs, and their ftaiks do not be- 
come (tiff and harfh like many other fpecies, but with 
proper care may be made very fine ; and, if duly 
rolled, their roots w 11 mat and form a very dole 
fward, therefore thefe (fiould be included in the num- 
ber of fown Graffes. 
The feventh fort is mentioned for the fake of variety, 
and not for uSe ; this hath an annual root, which fends 
up many broad hairy leaves, between which arife (len- 
der (tiff ftaiks from a foot to near two two feet high, 
dividing upward into a large look panicle, garnifhed 
with heart Shaped Small Spikes, each having about Se- 
venteen Small flofcules or florets ; thefe, after the 
flowers are paft, have a Single Seed Succeeding them ; 
the heads hang by (lender long foot-ftalks, which are 
moved by every wind. So that they generally appear 
(Baking, from whence it had the title of Quaking 
Grafs. There arc four fpecies or this Grafs, two of 
them grow naturally in England •, and thefe Graffes 
coming to head m May, occasioned the following 
6 I Englii'k 
i 
JJ3 
