Naturalisation in Extra -Tropical Countries 335 



deobstruent properties, which however are generally destroyed by 

 too much boiling. To obviate this, they should be soaked for 24 

 hours in cold water, to which salt has been added, and then gently 

 boiled for not more than 30 or 40 minutes in very little water [W, 

 B. Booth]. The seeds will retain their vitality fully three years. 

 This plant matures under horticultural care even in the dry hot 

 desert-reoions of Central Australia. 



Phleum alpinum, 



Europe, Asia, North- and South- America, on high mountains, 

 extending to Arctic regions. According to Drs. Stebler and 

 Schroeter, this is a good productive fodder-grass on strong but not 

 too wet soil. 



Phleum IVIichelii, Allioni. 



Mountains of Middle and Southern Europe. A tall, productive, 

 valuable fodder-grass, naturally confined to limestone-formation, 

 generally on dry, stony soil in sunny situation [Drs. Stebler and 

 Schroeter]. Better suited for mowing than grazing. 



Phleum pratense, Linne.* 



The Timothy- or Catstail-grass, Europe, North-Africa, 

 Northern and Middle Asia ; ascends to 10,000 feet in Spain. One 

 of the most valuable and most cultivated of all perennial fodder- 

 grasses. Its production of early spring-foliage is superior to that 

 of the Cocksfoot-grass. It should enter largely into any mixture 

 of grasses for permanent pasturage. It will live also on moist arid 

 cold clay-ground. This grass, and perhaps yet more the allied 

 Phleum alpinum, L., are deserving of an extensive transfer to 

 moory drained regions. It is very hardy, having been found 

 indigenous in Norway to lat. 70 [Professor Schuebeler]. For hay 

 it 'requires mowing in a young stage. The seed is copiously 

 yielded and well retained. The greatest advantage from this grass 

 arises, according to Langethal, when it is grown along with clovers. 

 It thrives even better on sandy meadows than on calcareous soil ; 

 it will prosper on poorer ground than Alopecurus pratensis ; the 

 latter furnishes its full yield only in the fourth year, whereas the 

 Phleum does so in the second. The Timothy-grass dries more 

 quickly for hay and the seeds are gathered more easily, but it 

 vegetates later, is of harder consistence, and yields less in the 

 season after the first cut. Dr. Curl, of New Zealand, observes, that 

 while many grasses and clovers, if eaten in their spring-growth, 

 may cause diarrhoea in sheep, the Timothy-grass, when young, 

 does not affect them injuriously. Well adapted for irrigation- 

 ground ; the yield of hay varies from 40 to 120 cwts. on an acre. 

 Occasionally attacked by fungus-disease, particularly from 

 Epichloe typhina, when sheep should be put on the affected fields 

 [Stebler]. 



