There are two broad divisions of beauty of vegetation in tidal lands. (1)that of what I know as salt meadows, the beauty of which is in the complete occupation of nearly level surfaces by a short fine grass — in lawn like breadth [388] and repose. This is our salt hay grass. I don’t know its botanical name — (2) that of taller, graceful waving reeds, rushes and sedges, in which interest may lie much in the variety and contrast of forms and tints

I suppose that the grass of the first class grows only where the ground is nearly of the elevation of ordinary high water — its roots being but occasionally covered. That is to say where I want the broad quiet effect, I had better arrange level surfaces (of rich, salt marsh mud?) which will usually be barely covered by the tide, (for half an hour) once in twelve hours. Of the taller and coarser vegetation I suppose that I may have two classes, one to grow on ground which would not often be reached by the tide but would be moistured by infiltration at the depth of three to six inches every twelve hours, the other on ground most of the time covered by salt water, that is to say near my low water mark (which will be but a foot below high water).

Please tell me if I am wrong and tell me the botanical names of a few plants which I could be most sure of success with — or which would be most likely under operations of nature to predominate, in the three situations, (1) slightly above ordinary high water; (2) slightly below ordinary high water, and (3) near and below ordinary low water.

If I make a bank at an angle of 45° and sod it between high & low water with the ordinary sedge of salt marshes (of salt creek banks) the tide rising and falling over the whole face, will it be likely to live and hold. (This apart from the question of washing away & gullying?)