ITALIAN RYE-GRASS. 443 



It is one of the plants recommended to be sown for pastur- 

 age and cover in thick shady woods, and for warrens or light 

 sandy downs, in the proportion of from 1 Ib. to 2 Ib. of the 

 seed per imperial acre. A bushel of the seeds averages 6 Ib., 

 while the number of seeds in an ounce is about 85,000. 



Lolium. Under the genus Lolium are two important 

 grasses namely, the Italian rye-grass and the common rye- 

 grass. 



The Lolium Italicum, as the Italian rye-grass is called 

 when it is regarded as a species distinct from the common rye- 

 grass, or the Lolium perenne Italicum when it is held to be 

 merely a variety of the Lolium perenne, is a native of the 

 southern countries of Europe. It is a fibrous-rooted grass of 

 biennial or triennial duration. It is suited to a great variety 

 of soils and situations. It was introduced into this country, 

 now nearly thirty years ago, by Mr Lawson. It is a most 

 valuable grass ; it produces a large quantity of herbage early 

 in spring, of which horses, oxen, and sheep are particularly 

 fond ; moreover, it bears cutting three times during the sea- 

 son, when cultivated in moist rich soils or irrigated land. It 

 is a valuable grass for alternate husbandry, yet its limited 

 duration fits it for sowing mixed with the seeds of grasses 

 intended for permanent pasture, since it dies out, giving place 

 to the slow-maturing perennials which are designed ultimately 

 to occupy the ground. 



It is one of the plants recommended to be sown, in the pro- 

 portion of from 3 Ib. to 6 Ib. per imperial acre, in alternate 

 husbandry, for permanent pastures, for permanent lawn-pas- 

 tures, for lands in preparation for irrigation, for permanent 

 pasture and hay in orchards and other grounds much over- 

 shadowed by trees, for heathy and moory lands which have 

 been improved with a view to their producing a better pastur- 

 age, for improved deep mossy ground intended to be kept in 



