I 
470 
The word oats is defined by Dr. Johnson as “food for men in Scotland, and 
horses in England!” and oat-meal still forms almost the sole food of a large 
portion of the Scots. The investigations of Prof. Norton show that “even in¬ 
cluding the husk the oat is superior to almost any other corn in those ingredients 
which go direetly to the production of muscle in the body. The strong muscu¬ 
lar forms of Scottish ploughmen have long been living witnesses to the good 
properties of their favorite and almost only food.” 
About two and a-half bushels of seed are sown on an acre, and the yield is 
from 40 to 60 bushels; though premiums have been awarded for crops of over 
100 bushels per acre. Oats are cultivated as far north on this continent as 
the 65th parallel of latitude.* 
TRIBE IX. PHALARIDEJ2. 
Spikelets more or less panicled, somewhat three-flowered, with the 
middle floret only perfect; the lower and terminal (or the apparently 
lateral) ones imperfect; either staminate, rudimentary or neutral; or 
sometimes the terminal floret perfect and the two lower ones imperfect. 
GENUS 43. ARRENATHERUM. Beauvois. 
(Greek— Arren masculine, and other awn, the staminate flowers being awned.) 
Spikelets panicled, two-flowered, with the rudiment of a third; the 
middle flower perfect, with the lower palea bristle-pointed from near the 
tip; the lowest staminate only, bearing the long bent awn below the mid¬ 
dle of the back. 
112. Arrenatherum Avenaceum. Beauvois. 
Syn. —Avena eleator, Linn. Tall meadow oat-grass. 
Leaves broad and flat; panicle elongated; contracted, finally spread¬ 
ing; glumes scariousvery unequal, the upper almost equaling; the lower 
shorter than the florets. Perennial; flowers in May and June. Culms 
2 to 3 feet high. Introduced, and occasionally cultivated; particularly 
in Ohio and Michigan; but is not found to be of much value. 
GENUS 44. HOLCUS. Linnceus. 
( Greek— Holkos, draught.) 
Spikelets in a contracted panicle, of two to three-flowers, pedicelled, so 
as to stand side by side, shorter than the mucronate and membranaceous 
* Richardson, Arc. Search. Ex., pp. 104-411. 
