212 



you may be giowing. I may state that I have been growing it since 1885, and find 

 it doe.s remarkably well here. I had 3 acres of it last season, which I cut with 

 binder, and which yielded about 50 bushels of seed. I intend to sow 15 acies more of 

 it this spring. If it will compare favourably with other varieties in feeding qualities 

 it must be a boon to this country, as stock are very fond of it, both as pasture and 

 hay. This grass has very fine roots, similar to Perennial Rye-grass, only stronger and 

 a little coarser. In fact, it was its likeness to it that made me gather the seed to test 

 it. This is about the only variety that has given me satisfaction here. Timothy i* 

 no use, except for one season, and is hard to germinate. Cocksfoot can hardly stand 

 the winter, and what lives is late in starting. The native Rye-grass (as I call it) is 

 very early, aifording a nice bite for stock before there is anything green on the 

 prairie." 



" January 16, 1892. — I collected this grass in 1885 while putting up hay in the 

 Assiniboine valley. I noticed some tufts a few feet above the water's edge and 

 observed that it resembled our Scotch Perennial Rye-grass very much, except the 

 head. I felt sure that in a few yeai-s we should get no wild hay to cut, so concluded 

 to give this grass a fair trial under cultivation. I gathered as much as half tilled a 

 flour bag, cutting half down the stem. From this I had enough to sow a plot of 

 ground 400 yards square, which I sowed in the spring of 1886, on a dry sandy soil. 

 It grew ovei- 1 foot long and seeded, but did not fully mature, 1886 was a veiy dry 

 summer here, so I felt more than satisfied with my success. In 1887 I got it des- 

 troyed by a hail storm. In 1888 I had 3 bushels of I'oughly-dressed seed, which 

 I sowed in 1889 on 3 acres of wheat stubble-ploughed, mixed soil, sand in one part,^ 

 clay in another, with a large spot of alkali soil. On this plot I had a magnificent 

 crop in 1890, especially on the clay. The plot yielded about 20 bushels of seed to 

 the acre. This last season I had over 4 tons of hay off same plot, which I did not 

 thresh, having no use for seed. This last spring I sowed 45 acres under it, along 

 with wheat, which did so well that I gave some of it to a pai'ty collecting for the 

 Toronto Industrial Exhibition, which was fully 4 feet long. In conclusion, I would 

 say that with the few experiments already made in Manitoba I have no fear of its 

 future, as far as hay and pasture are concerned." 



The seed sent by Mr. Mclver was sown broadcast on 20th May. On accoilnt 

 of the dry spring it did not come up until 23rd June. Copious rains fell on the 

 10th June. By 30Lh June the grass was 4 inches high. By lOth July 6 to 8 inches, 

 but uneven. It speared 15th August, flowered 20th August, and the seed was i-ipe 

 12th September. The following analysis made by Mr. F. T. Sliutt would show that 

 this grass has a good nutritive value. Sample taken 8th July, when the seed was in 

 the milk. 



Albuminoids 14-06 



Fibre 40-15 



Ash 5-71 



Fat -98 



60-90 

 Carbo-hydrates 39-10 



1 00 00 



Foreign Grasses. 



The following grasses will not repay cultivation in the Ottawa district: — 

 Sweet Vernal Grass (^Anthoxanthmn odoratum). Part of a bed was planted in May, 

 1890, and had become well established by the winter. Two-thirds of This part wititer- 

 killed and the remaining one-third recovered very late. Flowered 30th May. This 

 grass in apparently useless foi- this climate. Such plants as are i.ot winter-killed 

 recover so late that their character for earliness is entii-ely lost. The other half of 

 the bed was planted out during the summer of 1890, and had made nice vigorous 



