R. Gr. Stapledon and T. J. Jenkin 51 



On one eight-year field used as a meadow in alternate years, Dactylis 

 glomerata contributed 30 % to the herbage. 



SIBIMARY OF CONCLUSIONS TO BE DRAWN FROM THE FOREGOING 

 TABLES AND STATEMENTS AND FROM OUR INVESTIGATIONS 

 GENERALLY BEARING ON THIS SECTION. 



It will be convenient to discuss the behaviour of the chief plants 

 found on all the types of grassland investigated under a separate heading 

 for each individual species. 



Grasses and Clovers. 

 {a) Primary species. 



Agrostis vulgaris. Although a primary species it may come in early 

 in the life of a field both below and above 600' ; when plentiful in the 

 first or second year it is, however, usually due to a poor "take" and a 

 "foul" seed bed. Meadow conditions tend to suppress and pasture 

 conditions to favour its development (see Tables II, III and IV). Under 

 10-20 years' pasture it usually attains to a higher percentage {e.g. 

 20 %-60 %) than it does on unbroken heath pastures (e.g. 7 %-25 %). 

 With proper manuring and attention this need not, however, be the 

 case, for by this means Cynosurus cristatus and Poa spp. can be brought 

 into strong competition with it. A large sowing of cocksfoot (8-14 lbs.) 

 would appear also to suppress the development of this grass. 



Agrostis alba. This primary species on well-drained alluvia is not 

 usually plentiful until the third or fourth year and thenceforward tends 

 to gain rapidly. It is favoured by grazing, but is a much more successful 

 meadow plant (on good soils and at low elevations) than is A. vulgaris 

 under any conditions. 



Festuca spp. (fine leaved). The primary species above 600' is 

 F. ovina, with F. rubra secondary indigenous. At low elevations and 

 on good soils F. rubra is to be regarded as a primary species. F. ovina 

 is invariably late to come in (except on reclaimed fields immediately 

 reverting to grass), it seldom contributes much to the herbage before 

 the seventh or eighth year (see Table II) and even by the twentieth 

 will not have attained to the same predominance which it reaches on 

 the natural fescue pastures (20 % is a high figure on fields twenty years 

 down; 20 %-45 % is common on the natural pastures). 

 ' F. rubra may come in naturally as a secondary species in the third 

 year below 600' and as a considerable contributor by the fifth year 



4—2 



