38 PEEMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES. 



This grass is common in Great Britain and on the Conti- 

 nent of Europe, and its presence is a pretty certain indication of 

 good hind. In situations adapted to the requirements of this 

 grass it scarcely suffers from winter cold or white spring frosts. 

 It flourishes in strong, deep soil, especially in low-lying meadows 

 and valleys where a moist atmosphere prevails ; and in this 

 country it is rarely successful at an elevation of 500 feet above 

 the sea level. Meadow Fescue is abundant in the Vale of 

 Aylesbury, which is noted for the luxuriance of its pastures. In 

 fact, well-drained clay districts are its especial home. Professor 

 Buckman says : ' In rich meadow flats, as in the Vale of Berkeley, 

 the celebrated locality for the production of Double Gloucester 

 cheese, the Festuca pratensis is a common and valuable denizen.' 

 Again he says : ' In an agricultural point of view Festuca 

 pratensis is indicated for best lowland pastures not liable to 

 floods.' Scarcely any grass equals this for land under irrigation, 

 althou^'h it is entirely unsuited to a waterloo'O'ed soil. 



Some writers have recommended Meadow Fescue for one or 

 two years' leys, but as it requires three years to attain maturity, 

 I cannot advise its use for less than three or four years. I regard 

 it as one of the landlord's grasses, to be used principally for 

 permanent pastures. 



Festuca j^ratensis is a midsummer grass, rarely flowering 

 until the end of June, or ripening seed until the first week in 

 August. The ripening of seed lowers the nutritive quality, but 

 it does not greatly diminish the bulk. Sinclair's experiments 

 proved that between the time of flowering and the perfecting of 

 seed the depreciation in feeding value was very serious indeed. 

 But there is no need to anticipate loss on this ground, because, 

 being a late-flowering species, the hay is almost always cut 

 before the danger becomes imminent. One other point deserves 

 mention here. In early districts, where hay is cut in tlie first 

 or second week of June, this grass w^ill not be at its best, and 

 therefore it should be sown more sparingly than where the hay 

 harvest occurs about midsummer. 



