230 THE RYEGRASS CROP. 



The Italian ryegrass is never left down longer than 

 two years. The first autumn it will usually give one 

 cutting, which, if late in the season, should not be 

 too close to the ground; the following year it is in full 

 produce, and may be cut as frequently as the growth 

 will admit of it; the next spring it will generally bear 

 cutting once or twice, and should then be ploughed up 

 and the ground rendered available for another crop, or 

 it may be allowed to stand for a seed-crop, when the 

 hay is made and harvested in the usual way. 1 The seed, 

 which separates from the stem very easily, may either be 

 thrashed out by the flail, which is the usual way, or by 

 the machine. The produce in favourable seasons is some- 

 times very large, though in weight that of the Perennial 

 species greatly exceeds it. 



The Perennial ryegrass is more or less subject to most of 

 the diseases which have been described as affecting the 

 cereal grasses: the only one, however, which has been 

 noticed as injuring it to any practical extent is the ergot 

 (see p. 179, vol. i.), which in some seasons, especially in 

 low-lying or heavy undrained soils, has not only com- 

 pletely destroyed its forage value, but rendered it very 

 prejudicial to cattle pasturing on it. 



The Italian ryegrass is generally free from this and the 

 other similar forms of disease, as it remains down only a 

 short time; and its growth is so rapid and pushed forward 

 by the application of manures, that it is cut and con- 

 sumed before the disease, if it exists, has time to exert 

 much influence on it. 



1 Speaking of Mr. Dickenson's farm, Mr. Caird tells us : " The demand for 

 seed is so great that two crops are sometimes taken in a season (though that is 

 not recommended in ordinary circumstances), the first crop yielding from 4 to 

 7 quarters the acre, the second about 3 quarters. In order to ascertain how 

 much hay could be got from Italian ryegrass, the whole year's crop of one 

 field was made into hay, and the produce of four cuttings on a field of 20 acres 

 amounted to 130 loads of 18 cwts. each, or nearly 6 tons to the acre." Caird' a 

 English Agri. p. 465. 



