GRASS, (Emyel.) By grasses are meant all those plants which have a round, jointed, and hollow stem, surrounded at each joint with a single leaf, long, narrow, and pointed, and whose seeds are contained in chaffy husks. It appears by this definition, which is Ray's, that all the kinds of grain, as wheat, oats, barley, &c. are properly grasses; and that the broad, the white, the hop, &c. clovers are not grasses, though so frequently called by that name.
Culmiferous grasses might be divided into two general classes for the purposes of the farmer, that it might be of use for him to attend to; viz. 1st, Those which, like the common annual kinds of corn, run chiefly to feed-stalks; the leaves gradually decaying as these advance towards perfection, and become totally withered or fall off entirely when the seeds are ripe. Rye-grass belongs to this class in the strictest sense. To it likewise may be assigned the vernal-grass, dogs-tail-grass, and fine bent-grass. 2dly, Those whose leaves continue to advance even after the feed-stalks are formed, and retain their verdure and succulence during the whole season, as is the case with the fescue and poa tribe of grasses, whose leaves are as green and succulent when the seeds are ripe and the flower-stalks fading, as at any other time.
“ It is wonderful, Mr Stillingfleet † remarks, to see how long mankind has neglected to make a proper advantage of plants of such importance, and which, in almost every country, are the chief food of cattle. The farmer, for want of distinguishing and selecting grasses for feed, fills his pastures either with weeds or bad or improper grasses; when, by making a right choice, after some trials, he might be sure of the best grass, and in the greatest abundance that his land admits of. At present, if a farmer wants to lay down his land to grass, what does he do? he either takes his seeds indiscriminately from his own foul hay-rick, or sends to his next neighbour for a supply. By this means, besides a certain mixture of all sorts of rubbish,
which must necessarily happen, if he chances to have a large proportion of good seeds, it is not unlikely but that what he intends for dry land may come from moist, where it grew naturally, and the contrary. This is such a slovenly method of proceeding, as one would think could not possibly prevail universally: yet this is the case as to all grasses except the darnel-grass, and what is known in some few counties by the name of the Suffolk grass; and this latter instance is owing, I believe, more to the soil than any care of the husbandman. Now, would the farmer be at the pains of separating once in his life half a pint or a pint of the different kinds of grass-seeds, and take care to sow them separately, in a very little time he would have wherewithal to stock his farm properly, according to the nature of each soil, and might at the same time spread these seeds separately over the nation, by supplying the feed-shops. The number of grasses fit for the farmer is, I believe, small, perhaps half a dozen or half a score are all he need to cultivate; and how small the trouble would be of such a task, and how great the benefit, must be obvious to every one at first sight. Would not any one be looked on as wild who should sow wheat, barley, oats, rye, peas, beans, vetches, buck-wheat, turneps, and weeds of all sorts together? yet how is it much less absurd to do what is equivalent in relation to grasses? Does it not import the farmer to have good hay and grass in plenty? and will cattle thrive equally on all sorts of food? We know the contrary. Horses will scarcely eat hay that will do well enough for oxen and cows. Sheep are particularly fond of one sort of grass, and fatten upon it faster than any other, in Sweden, if we may give credit to Linnaeus. And may they not do the same in Britain? How shall we know till we have tried?”
As the generality of farmers know scarce any of the grasses by name, and as without such knowledge little improvement can be made in this branch of husbandry, we have on Plate CCCXIX. given figures of those sorts which have been recommended as the most profitable, viz.
1. Hordeum murinum, RYE-GRASS vulgō. [Rye-grass propriū is the secale villosum. Perennial darnel, lolium perenne, is also, in some counties of England, improperly called rye-grass.]
2. Festuca rubra, PURPLE FESCUE-GRASS. See AGRICULTURE, no 52.
3. Festuca ovina, SHEEPS ditto. See AGRICULTURE, no 54.
4. Holcus lanatus, CREEPING SOFT-GRASS. See AGRICULTURE, no 57.
5. Alspercurus bulbosus, BULBOUS FOXTAIL-GRASS, is recommended by Mr Anderson †, as promising on some occasions to afford a valuable pasture-grass. It seems chiefly, he observes, to delight in a moist soil, and therefore promises to be only fit for a meadow pasture-grass. The quality that first recommended it to his notice, was the unusual firmness that its matted roots gave to the surface of the ground, naturally soft and moist, in which it grew; which seemed to promise that it might be of use upon such soils, chiefly in preventing them from being much poached by the feet of cattle which might pasture upon them. Mossy soils especially are so much hurt by poaching, that any thing that promises to be of use in preventing it deserves to be attended to.
6. Poa pratensis, GREAT MEADOW-GRASS, seems to approach in many respects to the nature of the purple-fescue; only that its leaves are broader, and not near so long; being only about a foot or 16 inches at their greatest length. Like it, it produces few feed-stalks and many leaves, and is an abiding plant.
7. Poa compressa, CREEPING MEADOW-GRASS, according to Mr Anderson, seems to be the most valuable grass of any of this genus. Its leaves are firm and succulent, of a dark Saxon-green colour; and grow so close upon one another, as to form the richest pile of pasture-grass. The flower-stalks, if suffered to grow, appear in sufficient quantities; but the growth of these does not prevent the growth of the leaves, both advancing together during the whole summer; and when the stalks fade, the leaves continue as green as before. Its leaves are much larger and more abundant than the common meadow-grass, poa trivialis; and therefore it better deserves to be cultivated.
8. Anthoxanthum odoratum, VERNAL GRASS, grows very commonly on dry hills, and likewise on found rich meadow-land. It is one of the earliest grasses we have; and from its being found on such kinds of pastures as sheep are fond of, and from whence excellent mutton comes, it is most likely to be a good grass for sheep-pastures. It gives a grateful odour to hay. It is very easy to gather, as it sheds its seeds upon the least rubbing.
9. Cynosurus cristatus, CRESTED DOG'S-TAIL GRASS. Mr Stillingfleet imagines this grass to be proper for parks, from his having known one, where it abounds, that is famous for excellent venison. He recommends it also, from experience, as good for sheep; the best mutton he ever tasted, next to that which comes from hills where the purple and sheep's fescue, the fine bent, and the silver hair grasses abound, having been from sheep fed with it. He adds, that it makes a very fine turf upon dry sandy or chalky soils: but unless swept over with the scythe, its flowering-stems will look brown; which is the case of all grasses which are not fed on by variety of animals. For that some animals will eat the flowering-stems is evident by commons, where scarcely any parts of grasses appear but the radical leaves.
10. Stipa pennata, COCK'S-TAIL OR FEATHER GRASS.
11. Agrostis capillaris, FINE BENT, is recommended by Mr Stillingfleet, from his having always found it in great plenty on the best sheep-pastures, in the different counties of England that are remarkable for good mutton.
12. Areira flexuosa, MOUNTAIN HAIR.
13. — caryophillea, SILVER HAIR.
The same may be said of these two grasses as of the preceding one.
14. Festuca fuitans, FLOTE FESCUE. In a piece published in the Annales Academiae, vol. 3. intitled Plantae Esculentae, we are informed, that "the seeds of this grass are gathered yearly in Poland, and from thence carried into Germany, and sometimes into Sweden, and sold under the name of manna seeds. These are much used at the tables of the great, on account of their nourishing quality and agreeable taste. It is wonderful, (adds the author), that amongst us these seeds have hitherto been neglected, since they are so easily collected and cleansed." There is a clammi-
ness on the ear of the flote-fescue, when the seeds are ripe, that tastes like honey; and for this reason perhaps they are called manna seeds.
Linnaeus (Flor. Succ. art. 95.) says that the bran of this grass will cure horses troubled with botts, if kept from drinking for some hours.
Concerning this grass we have the following information by Mr Stillingfleet. "Mr Dean, a very sensible farmer at Ruscomb, Berkshire, assured me that a field, always lying under water, of about four acres, that was occupied by his father when he was a boy, was covered with a kind of grass, that maintained five farm-horses in good heart from April to the end of harvest, without giving them any other kind of food, and that it yielded more than they could eat. He, at my desire, brought me some of the grass, which proved to be the flote-fescue with a mixture of the marsh-bent; whether this last contributes much towards furnishing so good pasture for horses, I cannot say. They both throw out roots at the joints of the stalks, and therefore likely to grow to a great length. In the index of dubious plants at the end of Ray's Synopsis, there is mention made of a grass under the name of gramen caninum supinum longissimum, growing not far from Salisbury, 24 feet long. This must by its length be a grass with a creeping stalk; and that there is a grass in Wiltshire growing in watery meadows, so valuable, that an acre of it lets from 10 to 12 pounds, I have been informed by several persons. These circumstances incline me to think it must be the flote-fescue; but whatever grass it be, it certainly must deserve to be inquired after."
15. Alopecurus pratensis, MEADOW FOXTAIL. Linnaeus says that this is a proper grass to sow on grounds that have been drained.—Mr Stillingfleet was informed, that the best hay which comes to London is from the meadows where this grass abounds. It is scarce in many parts of England, particularly Herefordshire, Berkshire, and Norfolk. It might be gathered at almost any time of the year from hay-ricks, as it does not shed its seeds without rubbing, which is the case of but few grasses. It is amongst the most grateful of all grasses to cattle.
16. Poa annua, ANNUAL MEADOW GRASS. "This grass (says Mr Stillingfleet) makes the finest of turfs. It grows every where by way sides, and on rich found commons. It is called in some parts the Suffolk grass. I have seen whole fields of it in High Suffolk without any mixture of other grasses; and as some of the best salt-butter we have in London comes from that county, it is most likely to be the best grass for the dairy. I have seen a whole park in Suffolk covered with this grass; but whether it affords good venison, I cannot tell, having never tasted of any from it. I should rather think not, and that the best pasture for sheep is also the best for deer. However, this wants trial. I remarked on Malvern-hill something particular in relation to this grass. A walk that was made there for the convenience of the water-drinkers, in less than a year was covered in many places with it, though I could not find one single plant of it besides in any part of the hill. This was no doubt owing to the frequent treading, which above all things makes this grass flourish; and therefore it is evident that rolling must be very serviceable to it.
"It has been objected, that this grass is not free from bents,
Harmattan, by which word is meant the flowering-stems. I answer, that this is most certainly true, and that there is no grass without them. But the flowers and stems do not grow so soon brown as those of other grasses; and being much shorter, they do not cover the radical leaves so much; and therefore this grass affords a more agreeable turf without mowing, than any other whatever that I know of."