lo Nov., 1908.] Culture of Permanent Pastures, 657 



This would give a fair average dressing for districts with a rainfall of 

 18 inches or over. In drier areas it would be wiser to substitute first 

 grade superphosphate for the basic slag, and to reduce the quantity by 

 one-half. 



Selection of Seed. 



In making up a permanent grass mixture, we are confronted with 

 innumerable difficulties. NO' arbitrary rules can be laid down. Each 

 particular variety of soil and climate requires to be experimentally tested 

 before the optimum mixture can be ascertained. As Professor Spillman 

 has remarked, it is easy enough to prescribe mixtures that ought to give 

 prolific growth for the greater part of the year, but yet we find that little 

 or no headway is being made. The reasons are that the mixtures are not 

 adapted to suit all conditions ; and again, the farmer is at fault for not 

 giving the experiment a more extended trial. 



Certain grasses affect very different habits of growth under modified 

 climatic conditions : Poa pratensis or meadow poa grass, a constituent of 

 most permanent grass lands at home, is at once the famous Kentucky Blue 

 grass of America, and the dreaded "Black TAvitch " of New Zealand, so 

 that knowledge of local experiments must be first obtained before a judicious 

 mixture can be compounded. The grasses may be divided into " top " and 

 "bottom" plants according to the position they occupy in the sward. 

 Those that develop into tall, strong-growing grasses, such as tall oat grass 

 •and cocksfoot, are known as "top grasses;" while the dwarf varieties, 

 foxtail and sheep's fescue, form the sole or bottom herbage. In hay- 

 growing mixtures, the former must predominate, but for pasturage tall 

 medium and short varieties must be included. 



Amongst the early flowering varieties may be mentioned meadow foxtail, 

 perennial rye, smooth-stalked meadow grass, cocksfoot, white clover and 

 trefoil. The mid-season group includes crested dog's tail, meadow fescue 

 and red clover, whilst the late flowering species are timothy, lucerne and 

 alsike. Timothy, meadow foxtail, and rough-stalked meadow grass are 

 usually found on heavy clays and clay loams ; on lighter soils cocksfoot, 

 smooth-stalked meadow grass and fescue grasses, whilst rye grasses, 

 ■crested dog's tail, and sweet vernal occur on all types of soil. 



The two last-mentioned grasses yield a very small amount of feed, but 

 form excellent sole grasses. Cocksfoot is rather apt to become tufty, 

 but it provides fresh succulent shoots from early spring to the end of 

 summer, and in good districts right on into the autumn. Timothy, on 

 the other hand, spends all its energy in producing an early hay crop, and 

 then lies practically dormant, there being little or no aftermath. Again, 

 rough-stalked meadow grass comes early and late but appears to rest in 

 mid-season. Another important point tO' be borne in mind in selecting 

 seeds is the palatability of the plants ; for example, golden oat grass is 

 never touched except when very young and fresh. The dominant species 

 are not always the most useful, as they may have been repeatedly avoided 

 'by grazing stock, and thus have gained the upper hand. 



Amount of Seed. 



A fairly heavy seeding on good land would be about 40 lbs. per acre, 

 ^ay 30 to 32 lbs. of true grasses and 8 to 10 lbs. clovers. It is wise to 

 allow a liberal seeding, as renovating mixtures are rarely a big success ; 



