54 BRITISH GRASSES. 



The first grass extensively used for artificial pasturage 

 was the Rye Grass (Lolium perenne) ; it grows readily in 

 almost any kind of soil,, and ripens an abundance of good 

 seed, and; for these qualities, it early became popular. 

 It was introduced into England before the year 1677, 

 and both the normal form and its varieties, known as 

 Dixon's Rye Grass, Russell's Rye Grass, and Ruck's 

 Rye Grass, soon won for themselves the good opinion of 

 agriculturists. The Rye Grasses produce , great abun- 

 dance of seed, which vegetates easily, and the plants 

 soon arrive at perfection. It is held in much esteem for 

 early herbage. Cattle eat the foliage eagerly, but they 

 reject the stems, and when these are allowed to stand 

 for seed the crop impoverishes the land to a great extent. 

 Then the Meadow CatVtail began to be appreciated 

 (Phleum pratense). Very early in the present century 

 Dr. Richardson, of Portrush, in Ireland, introduced the 

 Fiorin grass [Agrostis stolonifera) , and attracted general 

 attention by his success with it. Individual agricultu- 

 rists had tried experiments with some species at an earlier 

 date, as for instance, in Yorkshire, it is asserted by Mar- 

 shall that Holcus lanatus, called in the district " York- 

 shire Fog/' was cultivated alone, and its seeds threshed 

 like corn. This is another instance of seed-bearing 

 properties procuring favour for a grass, that being the 

 principal recommendation of Holcus lanatus. It was not 

 till the time of Sinclair that the superior qualities of 

 Alopecurus pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, and Phleum 

 pratense, were fully declared. The first requires more 

 than two years to arrive at perfection, but is a most 

 valuable grass when once established, both for meadow 

 and aftermath ; the last is remarkable for its large pro- 

 duce of culms, which are more nutritious than those of 



