GRASS. 
fhe feeds of the larger forts, wliich we call corn, are of 
snankind. One genus of grafs, entitled anthoxantkvm, 
d.tters from the red in having two (tamens only. And 
tliere are feveral genera, whicli, having male flowers 
iiiixed with rlie hermaphrodites, are placed by Linnaeus 
in his cLifs pclycramia. 
Artificialgraps^ viz. clover, lucern, f.tintfoin, trefoil, 
-fee. are moftiy leguminous plants, totally different ui 
every reipecl from grades, except in being ufed as Food 
lor cattle ; and are to be fought for in the clafs diadd- 
phia. All the grades are |5articularly treated of under 
thcjr refpeftive genera, as enumerated under tlie article 
} 5 ot.\ny, vol. iii. p. 294. 
It is wonderful (remarks the ingenious and benevolent 
Stillingfleer,) how long mankind has negleifted to make 
a proper advantage of pl.mts fo important as grades, 
which in almoft every region and counti'y of the earth 
•arc t!ie lupport and fudentation of cattle. The farmer 
■ ind grazier, as .well as mod country gentlemen, for 
w ant ot dirtinguifhing and felefting the bed graifes for 
teed, fufter their paftures to be over-run with weeds, or 
rendered unproductive by a fpecies of grafs unfavour¬ 
able a!id ill-adapted to tlie foil ; whereas, by making a 
proper choice ot feeds, with due care and good luif- 
baiidry, they miglu be fure of tlie bed crops of grafs, 
and in the greated abundance that the nature of tlieir 
land will admit of. Tiie number of the bed grades 
are indeed comparatively fmall ; yet are tliere fulhcieiit 
tsl them to dock advantageoufiy every kind of foil, and 
to render even the poorer fandy lands productive. 
Mr. Stillingfleet, in his Obfer.vations on Graifes, has 
ieledted eleven fpecies, which he recommends .above all 
■otliers for cultivation ; viz. i. Vernal grefs, common on 
dry bills, on found ricli meadow land., and ;ilfo in woods. 
It is very early, and a good grafs for dieep padures. 
It is very eafyto jiropagate, fince it dieds its Leeds upon 
tlie lead rubbing. See Anthoxan.thum odoratnm. 
2. Meadow fox-tail grafs, found in greaKplenty in the 
belt meadows about London., and anakes very good hay. 
LinnaEus recommends it to be fown on grounds that 
have been drained. It may be gatliered at.any time of 
tlie year-from liay-ricks, for it does not died its feeds 
^v■ithout rubbing. See Alopecurus pratenfis. 
3. Fine bent grafs, found in great pl .-nty on the bed 
flieep padiues. See Ac rostis capillaris. 
.4. Mountain hair grafs, abundant alfo in fimilar fitua- 
tions. See Aira montana. 
5. Silver hair grafs., found in the fame kinds of paf- 
tiires. See Aira caryophyllea. 
6. Great meadow grafs, wliicli, together v/itli tlie nar¬ 
row-leaved fort, is common in the belt meadows, and 
makes both good .padure and hay. See Poa pratenlis, 
angudifolia, and comprelfa. 
7. Annual meadow grafs, which makes tlie fined turf. 
It grows every where by way-fides, and on rich found 
commons. In fome parts it is called Suffolk grafs. See 
Poa annua. 
8. Sheep's ffcue grafs, fo much edeemed as the fvveet- 
ed.teed for iheep, and common on Iheep downs. See 
.Festuca ovina. 
9. Purple fefeice. grafs, found on Iheep downs, with fine 
bent and diver liair-grafs. See Festuca rubra. 
10. Flole ffeue grafs, a very fattening grafs when 
growing in water. See Festuca fluitans. 
11. Crejled dog's tail grajs, proper for deer in parks, 
and for llieep ; and nuikiug a fine turf upon dry fandy 
or ch ilky foils. See Cykosurus cridatus. 
Belides tJiefe, Mr. Stillingfleet mentions as fecondary 
kinds, the following ; 
12. Yellow oat grafs, eafily propagated for fiieep, and not 
.iincoinmon in good meadows. See Avena flavefeens. 
13. Perennial darnel, or ray grafs, well known and ge¬ 
nerally cultivated all over Kiigland. See Lolium pe- 
renne. 
The absfve graffes come into ear between the begin¬ 
ning of May and the middle of June, in the following 
order: viz. i. Annual meadow. 2. Meadow fox¬ 
tail. 3. Vernal. 4. Great meadow. 5. Narrow-leaved 
meadow., 6. Crelied dog-tail. 7. Slieep’s fefeue. 8. 
Purple fefeue. 9. Fine bent. 10. Marlli bent. ii. 
Silver hair. 12. Yellow oat. 13. Flote fefeue. 
The late ingenious Mr. Curtis, who bed lived much 
attention, and tried many experiments, on this fubjedi:, 
remarks, that although it is an opinion which has long 
prevailed among many of the more enlightened agr*. 
culturrds of the prefent age, that much of our nieadovr 
and padure land may be rendered far more valuable 
than it is at prefent, by the introdudlion of fome of our 
bell graifes; that although Stillingfleet and others have 
endeavotired to excite tlie hufb.indman to collect and 
cultivate grafs-feeds, by writings franglit with the 
lounded reafonitig; and the Society for the Encourage¬ 
ment of Arts, M.mufadtures, and Commerce, have at¬ 
tempted to attradt him by the offers of well-diredted 
premiums-; yet hitlierto they hav.e not been produdtivc 
ot the defired eftedf : ray-grafs,. with very few excep¬ 
tions, continuing dill to be the only grafs vvhofe feeds 
can be purchafed for laying down land. But, tliis grafs 
not being adapted to ever-y^foil and fituation, Mr. Cur¬ 
tis has judicioully feiedled fix of the bed forts of graifes, 
adapted to ground of different quality, i. Anthoxan- 
thum verniim, or fvveet-feented vernal grafs, which is 
the earlied of all our graifes next to Cynoliiriis cceru- 
leus.: it will grow in^any foil or fituation ; cattle are 
fond -of it : but it is not fo produdlive in point of crop 
as fome others, and it yields the fewed feeds. 
2. Alopecurms pratenfis, or meadow fox-tail grafs, 
is almod as early as the foregoing, much larger, and of 
quicker growth ; confequently much more produdlive. 
3. Poa piatenfis, or fmooth-dalked meadow grafs. 
The foliage (hoots early, but the flowering-dems are 
not produced fo foon as the foregoing. Where early 
grafs padurage is defirCd, it cannot better be obtained 
than by a combination of thefe three ; if crop be an 
object, this will have the preference. Smooth-dalkcd 
meadow grafs rather affedls a dry fituation, and hence 
keeps its verdure in long-continued dry weather better 
than mod others ; it will grow on the top of a wall, 
but more luxuriantly in a rich meadow : it has a root 
which creeps like conch grafs, and is almod as difficult 
to extirpate; it ought therefore to be introduced with 
caution where the padurage is not intended to be per¬ 
manent. 
4. Poa trivialis, orrough-dalked meadovv.grafs, loves 
moidure and a Iheltered fituation; hence, though few 
grades are more produdlive or more adaped to hay or 
padurage, it is tender, and liable to be injured by 
I'evere cold or excellive drought. 
5. Feduca pratenfis, or meadow fefeue grafs, comes 
neared to ray grals, to which however it is much fupe- 
rior. It is drictly perennial, very hardy, and will 
thrive not only in very wet, but alfo in dry, ground ; it 
produces more feeds than any of the others, which are 
eafily gathered, and readily grow. 
6. Cynofuriis cridatus, or creded dog’s-tail grafs, 
grows in dry fituations, and will not thrive in wet mea¬ 
dows: the llems are wiry, and the roots penetrating to 
no great depth, in dry I'ummers it becomes little better 
than an annual. 
Of tlie above fix graffes the fecond and fourth are fit. 
ted for mold land ; the fii d and fifth for land mold, or 
moderately dry; the third and fixth for dry padure. 
The order of their flowering is as follows : i. Vernal. 
2. Meadow fox-tail. 3. Sinooth-dalked meadow. 4. 
Rough-dalked meadow. 5. Meadow fefeue. 6. Cred¬ 
ed dog’s tail.—To thefe dx graifes we may add; 7. 
Avena elatior, or tall oat grafs. Early, very produc¬ 
tive, and producing a plentiful aftermath. 
2 . Avena flavefeens, or yellow oat grafs ; affe6lingdry 
foils, rather early, and tolerably produttive. 
9 . Bromus 
