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The Civuitry Gcntlanaiis Magazine 



a light harrow over them before roUing. 40 lb. 

 of seed will be sufficient for sowing an acre 

 alone ; but from 4 to 6 lb. will generally be 

 found sufficient in permanent grass mixtures. 



CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. 



Not being included among the grasses 

 operated upon by Professor Way, of Ciren- 

 cester, we only give the imperfect analytical 

 results obtained from the Woburn experiments, 

 according to which the barren-seeded variety, 

 from a black rich loam, gave at the time of 

 its flowering 3988 lb. per acre of nutritive 

 matter, about 2393 lb. at the time of seed- 

 ripening, and 978 lb. from the latter-math ; 

 while the fertile-seeded variety, from a black 

 sandy loam incumbent on clay, yielded about 

 4254 lb. of nutritive matter, or 266 lb. more 

 than the other. 



VARIETIES. 



The F. elatior presents considerable diver- 

 sity in the size, characteristics, and general 

 appearance of its different plants, shewing 

 that, by careful selections of these, highly im- 

 proved varieties might be obtained for culti- 

 vation. The following are the best of the 

 presently-known kinds : — 



1. F. datior feriilis, or Fertile-seeded Tall 

 Fescue. — Generally known by its abundant 

 production of fertile seeds. 



2. F. elatior sterilis, or Barren-seeded Tall 

 Fescue. — Distinguished by producing few or 

 no fertile seeds, and the consequent more 

 upright habit of its ripening panicles. This 

 is in many districts the most common fomi of 

 the species. And it has been questioned 

 whether or not this barrenness arises from an 

 imperfection in the inflorescence, or whether 

 it is caused by injury from insects or disease. 

 These may occasionally act injuriously, either 

 singly or in combination ; but there is no 

 denying the fact that while some plants 

 almost never produce fertile seeds, others, 

 which have been long grown beside them, as 

 invariably produce an abundance of good 

 seeds. This was satisfactorily pro\-ed by the 



late Mr T. Bishop, who acted during the 

 greater part of a long life, first as gardener 

 and then factor, on the extensive estates of 

 Methven Castle in Perthshire, regarding whom 

 none have devoted more careful and enduring 

 attention to the discovery of improved varie- 

 ties of hay and pasture grasses. Mr Bishop 

 found plenty of sterile plants by the sides of 

 the neighbouring river Almond ; and only 

 after persevering search did he at last discover 

 a fertile one. This he at first carefully 

 propagated by division, and next by seed, 

 and was ever afterwards rewarded by good 

 seed crops from both, although the barren 

 plants growing in their vicinity scarcely pro- 

 duced any seeds capable of vegetation. 



3. F. elatior gigantea. — The Gigantic-grow- 

 ing Tall Fescue differs from both the preced- 

 ing, as its name implies, by its much more 

 gigantic growth, its seeds being also con- 

 siderably larger. For the introduction of 

 this very valuable sort, cultivators are in- 

 debted to the German seed growers, who 

 have now several varieties of it ; and, having 

 at one time devoted a litde attention to its 

 culture, we were enabled to select six very 

 distinct sub-varieties, all of which were fertile 

 seeded, but they differed remarkably in 

 the comparative length, width, and colour 

 of their foliage, as well as in their earliness 

 and habit of growth. Notwithstanding their 

 strong, coarse, reed-like appearance, cattle and 

 horses were remarkably fond of them, both 

 green and dried ; while few other grasses 

 •equalled them for game cover. 



4. F. elatior variegata has large spikelets, 

 variegated with purple and white compact 

 short-branched panicles, with broad leaves, 

 which are hairy on their inner surface. This 

 variety is common on clayey, sea, and river 

 shores ; its seeds are generally fertile, and 

 although dwarfer than the ordinary forms of 

 the species, there can be no doubt of its suit- 

 ability for growing on exposed sea-coasts, 

 wherever the soil is of a sufficiently sub- 

 stantial nature. 



