COMMON PASTURE GRASSES. 17 



to stand the competition of numerous other grasses, while on 

 dry shingle it reigns alone. This is its chief, if not its only 

 virtue. The bulk of feed produced is very small, and 

 what there is, has a distinctly low palatability. When 

 turned on to plots of various grasses, 

 sheep will, if hard pressed, positively paw 

 up the creeping stems of white clover 

 before they will touch Chewings Fescue. On 

 arable ground it forms a close growing twitch, 

 which ploughs up into solid sods very difficult 

 to work down into a tilth. For these reasons 

 one cannot recommend the sowing of Chew- 

 ings Fescue except on the very poorest and 

 lightest soils, where nothing else will thrive. 

 Even in such localities it is open to question 

 whether one of the Danthonias would not 

 be more profitable, especially if an occasional crop is con- 

 templated ; though it is true that the Chewings Fescue will 

 come again after the crop without sowing any seed. 



For lawns, however, Chewings Fescue cannot be ex- 

 celled. It is fine leaved, dark green, slow growing, forms 

 a close turf that tends to prevent the ingress of weeds, and 

 suffers very little from the ravages of grass grub. The seed 

 is cheap enough to be applied at the rate of 150 Ibs. per acre 

 without undue expense, and if this grass is sown pure it 

 will give an infinitely better lawn than many of the elaborate 

 and expensive mixtures usually sold. Of course it has dis- 

 advantages. It is somewhat slow to establish itself, and 

 it turns brown unless watered in the height of summer. For 

 the rough sort of lawn that is rarely if ever mowed this grass 

 is quite unequalled. 



Chewings Fescue is largely grown is Southland, where it 

 was first accidentally introduced and afterwards separated out 

 by Mr. Chewing. It is extensively saved for seed, which in 



