BOTANY AS APPLIED TO VETERINARY SCIENCE. 499 
indiscriminate application, which is now being extensively 
carried on in many parts of the country by parties who have 
but slight knowledge of their composition, and none of their 
ultimate effects upon the plants to which they are applied, will 
lead to results injurious both to the plant itself and to the 
animal that feeds upon it. Plants are susceptible of disease, 
and perhaps to a greater extent than most of us imagine, and 
these artificial stimulants are well calculated to produce 
disease in them. The effect of such food is already 
becoming apparent by the amount of disease, especially 
amongst our younger animals, which is exhibiting itself in 
those districts where for any length of time this system of 
manuring has been carried on. 
It may be asked, what has this do with the veterinary 
surgeon? Unquestionably much; for anything which pro¬ 
duces disease amongst animals is surely of the first import 
to those whose special calling it is to administer to their 
wants when the subject of it. Depend upon it, the day is 
not far distant when we, as a profession, shall be more sought 
after in these matters then we have been, and for the honour 
of our profession let us be found equal to the task. 
But to return to the more immediate object of this paper, 
amongst the very great and bountiful provision for the sus¬ 
tenance of animals which is distributed over all parts of the 
globe, none is of more importance than the grasses. They 
go to chiefly make up that beautiful green carpet for which 
this country is so characteristic, and which proves such a 
source of attraction to the foreigner from sunnier climes 
when he lands upon our shores. 
The grasses are widely spread over nearly all parts of the 
earth, and include a great variety of species. They comprise 
all the plants which yield corn, and some of the best which 
yield sugar. They constitute (i that constant supply of 
essential food without which the more valuable domesticated 
animals could not exist in any considerable number, or for 
any length of time, much less be brought to furnish us with 
the most important articles of clothing, and some of the most 
important elements of food.” 
About 125 species grow wild in Great Britain and Ireland, 
exclusive of the varieties. They are all, with the exception 
of the Lolium temulentum (Darnel), perfectly wholesome, 
but vary much in their nutritive value. The chief botanical 
characters of the grasses, although more difficult of observation 
on account of their minuteness than other flowers, may be 
readily observed by the use of a small pocket-lens. They all 
belong to the class Endogena. 
