Indian Grasses

In 1882 I commenced a series of articles on the "Grasses of the Madras Presidency" in the Quarterly Journal of Veterinary Science in India and Army Animal Management. These articles I am led to believe proved of much interest to the profession and the horse-owning Indian public, and by them I have been requested to produce the series in book-form. I have endeavoured to make the subject more generally useful by dealing with the grasses of the Indian Peninsula, but it must not be imagined that my list is complete, there are probably many existing grasses of which I have never heard, but on the whole I think it will be found that the list is fairly comprehensive, and that at least the more common kinds of grasses have been described. All I have attempted to do is to bring to prominent notice those most useful as forage; many of the species undescribed are useless for this purpose, and their description is more of botanical than dietetic interest. I have endeavoured to diffuse a certain amount of practical knowledge of fodder-grasses, and have done so as the subject is increasing in importance every day. The illustrations should be found a useful guide in determining the species growing in any place, and the letter-press accompanying each plate will be of use to those who take a scientific interest in the genera.