50 



Pasture Problems 



however, completely spent itself by the second year; but the soil so 

 enriched and still receiving the benefit from the basic slag was evidently 

 a most suitable habitat for the indigenous Poa spp. and Trifolium 

 repens, which had neither to compete with an excess of Trifolium 

 pratense or of Lolium perenne (which had been largely suppressed by 

 the great development of clover in the first year). This case^, although 

 probably somewhat exceptional, is very instructive and throws much 

 light on the whole question of pasture formation. 



Detailed results obtained on six fields where more or less complete 

 mixtures had been used are given in Table VIII. The figures under 

 columns A and B were obtained from the same field on two separate 

 plots of about three acres each. 



The two mixtures used were similar except that in one case no 

 cocksfoot had been used ; and in the other the seeding of the remaining 

 species had been increased to supply approximately an equal number 

 of germinating seeds in the two cases. 



Some further results may be briefly stated thus : 



A field twelve years down, sown with Lolium perenne, Dactylis glome- 

 rata (2 lbs.) and Trifolium pratense only, and which had yielded eight 

 crops of hay, gave 



Leguminosae = T. pratense and T. rej^ens ; T. minus \ 



per cent. 

 25 



LathyrnJi pratensis and Vicia spp. 

 Miscellaneous herbs (chiefly Rhinanthns spp. 



Centaurea nigra 



Rumex spp. 



Plantago lanceolata 

 and Hypochaeris radicata) 

 Dactylis glomerata 

 Lolium perenne 

 Cynosurus cristatus 

 Poa triviaJis 

 Holcus lanatus 

 Anthoxayithum odorattun 

 Other grasses 



On Fields 8-10 years down the following species frequently contri- 

 bute up to 



Poa trivialis ... 12% although not sown 



Bromus mollis (et spp.) 17% „ ,, 



Festuca rubra ... 10% ,, ,, 



Dactylis glomerata... 14% when sown 

 ^ The case quoted is typical of all the fields on the farm of which it formed a part; 

 the farmer, a most skilled cultivator, holding the view "Do everything to obtain a great 

 development of Red Clover in the first year and the herbage will subsequently look 

 after itself." 



34 



8 

 13 



2 

 4 

 4 



2 



