406

APPENDIX.

80 dr. of grass weigh ^ oz . or lbs. per acre

when dry - 32 dr.

The produce of thespace, ditto 89.2JThe weight lost by the produce of one acre indrying - - - 5717

64 dr. of grass affordof nutritive matter 5.1 dr.

The produce of thespace, ditto - 18.1-J

The weight of nutritive matter which is lostby leaving the crop till the seed be ripe,exceeding one-third part of its value - 649 0 4

60984 0 = 3811 8 Q

4 0

12506 7 = 701 6 7

In the early growth of the leaves of this species of Poa,there is a striking proof that early flowering in grasses isnot always connected with the most abundant early pro-duce of leaves. In this respect all the species which havealready come under examination, are greatly inferior tothat now spoken of. lie fore the middle of April the leavesattain to the length of more than twelve inches, and aresoft and succulent; in May', however, when the flower-stalks make their appearance, it is subject to the diseasetermed rust, which affects the whole plant; the conse-quence of which is manifest in the great deficiency of pro-duce in the crop at the time the seed is ripe, being one-half less than at the time of the flowering of the grass.Though this disease begins in the straws, the leaves suffermost from its effects, being at the time the seed is ripecompletely dried up: the straws, therefore, constitute theprincipal part of the crop for mowing, and they containmore nutritive matter in proportion than the leaves. Thisgrass is evidently most valuable for permanent pasture,for which, in consequence of its superior, rapid, and earlygrowth, and the disease beginning at the straws, nature