GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 
ON THE 
Advantage which may refult from the Introdu&ion of the Seeds of our beft Grasses. 
T HAT much of our meadow and pafture land may be rendered infinitely more valuable than it is at prefent, by the 
introduction of fome of our beft graffes, is an opinion which has long prevailed among many of the more enlightened 
agriculturifts of the prefent age. And while fome of thefe have endeavoured to excite the hufbandman to colled and 
cultivate feeds of this fort, by writings fraught with the founded reafoning a ; others have attempted to attraft him by the 
offers of well-direded premiums' 1 . But, hitherto, neither the writings of the one, however convincing, nor the premiums 
of the other, however alluring, have been produdive of the delired effed : Ray-Grafs ftill continues to be the only grafs 
whofe feeds can be purchafed for the purpofe of laying down meadow and pafture land ; and how inadequate that grafs 
is for fuch a purpofe, is known to every intelligent farmer. Why indeed the Lolium perenne c fhould originally have been 
madeufeof, in preference to all the other graffes, cannot, perhaps, be fatisfadorily accounted for ; mod probably it owes 
its introdu&ion to accident, or to its being a common grafs whofe feeds were eafily colleaed, rather than to its being preferred 
from an inveftigation of its merits compared with the others ; however this may be, there appears to be no reafon for 
excluding the others, for it would appear exceedingly improbable that of upwards of a hundred graffes d growing wild in this 
country, the Author of Nature fhould have created one only as fuitable to be cultivated for pafturage or fodder. 
Taking it for granted then, that there are other graffes, fuperior in many refpeCls to the Rye-Grafs, this queftion naturally 
ar jf es How comes it that they have not found their way into general ufe ? To this it may be anfwered; improvements in 
any fcience, but more efpecially agriculture, are flow in their advances; and, perhaps, no clafs of men adheres more perti- 
nacioufly to old practices than the farmer. 
The difficulty of diftinguifhing the graffes one from another, has no doubt proved one grand obftacle ; many of thefe plants 
are fo much alike, that the moft difeerning botanift is often at a lofs to know fome of them apart; if fo, how eafily may the 
hufbandman be detered from the arduous tafk. 
There is another caufe which may have operated againft their introduction : graffes, as well as other plants, have been 
frequently recommended, from a partial and limited obfervation of them, by perfons who neither knew them well as 
botanifts or agriculturifts, or who have recommended them, merely to gain by the credulity of the public. 
But perhaps, the chief reafon has been, that perfons who might be expeded to make the improvements, have not had 
the means fairly put into their hands of making the experiment. Whether the method we have adopted on this occafion, 
mav be more fuccefsful than thofe of our predeceffors, muft be determined by the event. From the numerous applications 
made to me by a variety of gentlemen, for grafs feeds, it has appeared incumbent on me to do fomething which might 
_ ra tif v them and render the public an effential fervice; I with, at leatt, to put it into their power to decide on a matter 
which has been long agitated, and from which I am far from being the only one that entertains the moft fanguine hopes of 
its proving a great national advantage. 
The graffes recommended will I am certain, do all that our natural graffes can do: they are fix of thofe which conftitute 
the bulk of our beftpaftures; moft of them are early, all of them are produaive, and they are adapted to fuch foils and 
fituations as are proper for meadows and paftures. 
But let no one exped them to perform wonders ; for, after all, they are but graffes, and, as fuch, are liable to produce 
Treat or fmall crops, according to particular feafons, or to the fertility or barrennefs of the foil on which they are fown. 
Observations on the GRASSES recommended and contained in the Packet. 
I. Anthoxanthum Odoratum. Sweet-Scented ycrnal-Grafs. Fig. l. 
NEXT to ttc Cyeojurus Casyuleus, or Blue Dogs-Tad Gnjs, this, of all our Engliih graffes. comes firft into blofiom ; it is 
therefore valuable as an early grafs; it is valuable alfo for its readinefs to grow in all kinds of loll and fituatlon, being 
found in boos, in woods (efpecially.fuch as are of low growth, or have had the underwood cut down) in rich meadows, 
and in dry p°ailures ; in point of crop, it is not fo produttive as fome, yet more fo than others ■ cattle appear to be fond oi 
it andkl well know? to be the only Engliih grafs which is odoriferous; the agreeable feent of new-made hay ar fe 
entirely from this grafs, hence its name of odoratum, or fweet-feented ; the green leaves, when bruifed readily impart this 
perfume to the fin|ers, by which means the foliage may at all times be known ; and perfons not deeply Hulled m Botany, 
may diftinguilh it when in bloffom, by its having only two threads or ftamina to each flower. 
Of the feveral graffes here recommended, it is the leaft produdive in point of feed. 
a « It is wonderful to fee how long mankind has neglefted to make a Pr°F r advanta^ of riant s . 0 ^^ UC ^!™ P a ft r | ^, CC e it he? wUl^wIedf^rba 
msmmmmm 
iSSSf- £w -.Is by th — of*. Sofolk-Gnd, (P.s "t'XlSS S 
any care of the Kulbandnsari^ !Now, wemW the Brmer m flock* Ms farnf properly according to the nature of each foil ; 
■ery country, 
' ' nproper 
“ fmall ; perhaps, half a dozen, or half a fcore, i 
“ muft be obvious to every one at firft fight. W . 
.. buck-wheat, turnips, and weeds of all forts, together? Yet, how 
Mi/c. Trails, Edit. z. f. 365. 
vv lina.it uic uuumt , r 1 .1. 
s wild, who fhould fow wheat, barley, oats, rye, peafe beans vetches, 
... . ... . » — 1 — *, — i-.: on to graffes. isimingjltc! s 
:r proportion of improvement. 
1 • _v:.i. i„:a dc.-r, 
is oheocr «gleAod ploughed gro.nd, U ^Medioi», of .woch -£3?“ 
• ’ 'th common feeds; and this fpot is confiderably better than the reft. It not only appeared to to my juagn 
« The beft graffes ci 
« twelve or fourteen yes . , . 
“ the remainder of the field was laid down wit.. - . .. , 
«• it, by this method of laying it down, to a much greater degree than he can m the ufual way. K'«t s j hand iS; and, on the 
Andcrfon’sEffajs ufeful Lu ^ ingenioS author, a’re rendered abortive, from his want of Botanical 
b Society for the Encouragement of Manufadures, Arts, and Commerce.— c Ray, or Rye-Grafs.- 
4 The word graffes is here underftood in its drift fenfe. 
II. Alopecurus 
