and, if generally understood and used, might be 
| past, produced so many most valuable new va- 
| ceeding a clouded or misty atmosphere, The 
| partially discharged before the anthers explode 
| from their confinement. It is true that much 
| servation of the species, and the pollen which 
_ falls from the dangling anthers, after having ful- 
| insult to the understanding of the farmers of the 
_ it for granted that this fact is generally known, 
| is obvious. The first day that wheat, oats, or 
_ opened, and let the chaff spring back to protect 
| the stigma and embryo grain. After four days, 
90 AGRICULTURAL SEEDS. 
four generations, and may then either die out, or 
revert to the type of one of the varieties whence 
they sprung. Some genera of plants, too, far 
more readily and healthily hybridize than others ; 
and unhappily wheat is one of the genera most 
averse to the process. But, with these precau- 
tions, hybridizing is a power of great moment, 
sown, may produce several new improved va- 
rieties. Pease and beans, too, have their parts 
of fructification concealed by the papilionaceous 
corolla, and by similar treatment may produce 
similar results.”—| dM. Gorrie in Quarterly Jour- 
nal of Agriculture. | 
The grass or pasture seeds have been already 
glanced at in the article Arrmrerass, and will 
occur to be fully discussed in the article Grasszs, 
yet may here form a suitable topic of two or three 
remarks, They have been economically arranged 
into the three classes of seeds, belonging to re- 
spectively proper grasses for permanent pasture 
and for alternate husbandry,—clover or pea- 
blossomed plants, partly for intermixture with 
the proper grasses, but chiefly for green food, 
and for hay,—and miscellaneous plants, either for 
intermixture with the proper grasses, or for sepa- 
rate sowing with the view of improving land. 
The best of the proper grasses for the uses of the 
farmer are Alopecurus pratensis or meadow fox- 
tail grass, Poa pratensis or smooth-stalked meadow 
grass, Poa trivialis or rough-stalked meadow grass, 
Festuca pratensis or meadow fescue, Cynosurus cris- 
tatus or crested dog’s-tail grass, Hestuca duriuscula 
or hard fescue, Holcus lanatus or woolly soft grass, 
Holcus avenaceus or tall oat-like soft grass, Phlewm 
pratense majus or large meadow cat’s-tail grass, 
Lolium perenne Russelianum or Russel’s perennial 
ryegrass, Hordeum pratense or meadow barley- 
grass, Mestuca ovina or sheep's fescue, Agrostis sto- 
lonifera latifolva or fiorin, Lolium Ltalicum or Ita- 
lianryegrass, and Panicum Germanicum or German 
panic grass. The best of the clovers or pea-blos- | 
somed plants are 772foliwm pratense or broad-leaved 
red clover, 7rifoliwm pratense perenne or Cow-grass 
or perennial red clover, 7rifoliwm repens or white 
clover, Zrifolium minus or red suckling, Medicago 
lupulina or non-such or hop trefoil, Medicago 
sativa or lucern, and Hedysarum onobrychis or 
saintfoin ; and the best of the miscellaneous 
plants of a nature fit for intermixture with the 
grasses, are Potertum sanguisorba or burnet, Achal- 
lea millefolium or yarrow, Spergula arvensis sativa 
or cultivated meadow spurrey, and Plantago lan- 
ceolata or lamb’s tongue or rib-grass. 
The proper grasses which we have named con- 
stitute the produce of every rich old permanent 
pasture ; and, in all judicious artificial sowings, 
are intermixed with clovers, particularly the 
white and the perennial red, in different propor- 
tions according to the character of the soil. If 
only one species of grass be sown—no matter 
which species, or how thickly sown, and no mat- 
ter what the character or condition of the soil— 
only a portion of the plants will prosper, and 
blank spaces will occur everywhere among them, 
to be speedily occupied by whatever grasses, 
weeds, rushes, or mosses, are ripening in the 
vicinity, and have a liking for the soil ; but if a 
mixture of different species and of sufficient 
quantity be sown, the plants which spring from 
them will densely cover every portion of the sur- 
made subservient to the great and rapid improve- 
ment of all agricultural seeds. The flowers of 
turnips, cabbages, and other plants of the brassica 
genus, are fully open to the action of light winds 
and the contact of insects ; and they, in conse- 
quence, often receive cross-impregnation by the 
scattering of pollen, and have, for thirty years 
rieties, that the aggregate value of the genus to 
the farmer has already become doubled and al- 
most trebled. Dale’s hybrid turnip, and the 
amazingly improved turnips in the general hus- 
bandry of Scotland, are illustrations of the won- 
ders which may be effected. Even wheat may, 
with great promise, be artificially hybridized. 
“ The anthers or male part of wheat and other 
ceralea seldom escape from their casement till 
after the ear has been four or five days devel- 
oped, according to the state of the atmosphere ; 
and this process takes place when the air within 
the glume is suddenly expanded by sunshine suc- 
same cause produces the same effect on the en- 
velop of the pollen, and the fecundating pollen is 
pollen is shed outside the glume; but Nature is 
profuse in all her works connected with the pre- 
filled the purposes requisite for the extension of 
vegetable life, may be intended by the beneficent 
Author of Nature to feed myriads of insects, 
which, however minute, are still the objects of 
his care. It might be.considered as offering an 
present day, to inform them that these yellow 
anthers are the male parts of the flower. Taking 
the mode of ‘ crossing’ for ‘improving the breed’ 
barley, comes in the ear, let the farmer select a 
few stalks as breeders;:and, with the forefinger 
of his left hand, pressing gently on the point of 
the chaffy cover, let him force it open, and with 
a pair of small pointed scissors in the right hand, 
let him cut out the three yellow anthers not yet 
let him return to the same stalks with the male 
flowers, or parts of the flowers of the variety with 
which he means to cross, open up the glumes as 
formerly, and dust the stigma gently with the 
pollen. One stalk of barley, oats, or wheat, 
treated in this manner, and the grains carefully 
