202 VEGETATION OF THE PEAK DISTRICT [CH. 
PERMANENT PASTURE 
The permanent pasture, although nowadays never ploughed, 
is an artificial plant association or group of artificial associations. 
Human influence is seen in three ways. First, most of the 
permanent pasture has been ploughed at least once, and in 
many cases has been sown with grass seeds, and the original 
plant associations have therefore been destroyed : secondly, it is 
more or less regularly manured by the occupying farmers: and 
thirdly, it is always grazed over by cattle, horses, or sheep. 
The manuring and grazing effectually prevent many of the 
aboriginal species re-migrating into the area. However, when 
permanent pasture becomes neglected and derelict, these species 
tend to enter the area and the introduced species tend to die 
off. Ultimately, the derelict pastures are indistinguishable 
from the uncultivated grassland; and they are therefore so 
coloured on the accompanying vegetation maps. 
Many of the cultivated grass fields are utilized solely for 
grazing purposes. In a considerable number of cases, however, 
the cattle are kept out of the fields after April; and the grass 
is allowed to grow long, when it is cut for hay. In this district 
haymaking usually begins about the end of June and continues 
until the middle or end of August, or into September if the 
season is unpropitious. By way of a phenological comparison, 
it may be stated that in eastern Somerset, haymaking begins 
at the end of May or the beginning of June. After the hay 
has been cut, the cattle are again turned into the fields; hence, 
it is scarcely possible to make any distinction on the maps 
between “meadows” and “ pastures.” 
The most abundant grasses of the hay-fields are :— 
Agropyrum repens a Dactylis glomerata a 
Alopecurus pratensis a Festuca rubra a 
Anthoxanthum odoratum a Lolium perenne la 
Phleum pratense 1 Poa pratensis 
Bromus mollis la P. trivialis Le 
Cynosurus cristatus la Trisetum flavescens Ce) 
Of the above grasses, Cynosurus is characteristic of the drier 
and poorer soils, and Trisetum of the damper and richer soils. 
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