22 PASTURE STUDIES: SOME RESULTS. 
Observation has shown that where this creeping variety is 
strongly indigenous it may prove a rather troublesome arable land 
weed, and therefore, unless the land is rigorously cleaned while 
under cultivation, the grass may persist bodily. Even where the 
land is put under a cleaning crop, small portions of the rhizomes 
may survive. It would be expected therefore that under condi- 
tions otherwise equal the grass would be most prevalent in a young 
pasture where the land had been least perfectly cleaned. 
The results for Areas 1-3 perfectly agree with this. Area 2 
was not even partly under a cleaning crop; Area r was partly 
under a cleaning crop while Area 3 was entirely under such a 
crop. 
A percentage frequency of 8-6 at 134 years on Area 4, which 
had been partly under a cleaning crop, does not contradict the 
explanation, as here the grass had had a longer period to re- 
colonise the ground. 
The fact that Areas 2 and 4 agree so closely, suggests that on 
this land, under the conditions prevailing, the grass reaches a 
certain stability at about 7 to 9 per cent. of the total herbage. 
On Areas 6 and 7 the grass, as might have been expected 
from the fact that it is only weakly indigenous, was but poorly 
represented. On Area 6it had a P.c. fr. of 1-0 at 44 years, but traces 
only were left at 64 years, and it was not recorded at 74 years. This 
suggests that it was gradually decreasing from a more prominent 
position occupied prior to 4} years. Since the area was not 
under a cleaning crop, the shade provided by the growing corn 
and by the hay crop would probably favour its development, but 
when open pasture conditions followed, it rapidly decreased. 
The results for Area 7 do not confirm this theory, as here 
traces only were found at 54 years, and a P.c. fr. of 1-3 at 64 
years. This area was, however, much less well grazed than Area 
6, and it is possible that the shade provided by the rough 
Agrostis herbage was sufficient for its development. 
In no case was there any indication that the grass is rejected 
by stock, so that the only apparent objection to it is its presence 
as an arable land weed, 
