SUMMER MANAGEMENT. 203 



valuable for the feeding of sheep. It flowers about the be- 

 ginning of July, and at this time it affords 7 drachms of nu- 

 tritive matter to the pound. 



Meadow Fescue Grass (Festuca pratensis). It con- 

 stitutes a very considerable portion of the herbage of all rich 

 natural pastures, and makes excellent hay. It is much liked 

 by cattle, but sheep comparatively neglect it. At flowering 

 time it yields about 3-4 of a ton per acre, and affords 9 

 drachms to the pound of nutritive matter. 



Rye Grass {Lelium perenne). Mr. Sinclair says of 

 this grass : " Sheep eat it when it is in .the earliest stage of 

 its growth, in preference to most others ; but after the seed 

 approaches towards perfection, they leave it for almost any 

 other kind. A field in the park at Woburn was laid down 

 in two equal parts, one part with rye grass and white clover, 

 and the other part with cock's foot and red clover. From 

 the, spring until midsummer the sheep kept almost constant- 

 ly on the rye grass, but after that they left it and adhered 

 with equal constancy to the cock's foot during the remainder 

 if the season." This grass is of almost equal value at the 

 flowering and seed season — the latter at the end of July. 

 It may, however, be objected to, as it exhausts the soil. 



Fertile Meadow Grass (Poafertilis). In early growth, 

 the proportion of nutritive matter, and the nutritive quality 

 of the latter math, this grass will yield to few. It continues 

 to send forth a succession of flowering culms until the frost 

 arrests their growth. It is therefore an excellent meadow 

 grass combined with others. 



Meadow Cat's-tail, or Timothy Grass (Phleum pra- 

 tense): This is of much value, for permanent pasture, mixed 

 with other grasses, on account^of its early herbage, its great 

 productiveness, and the superior proportion of nutritive mat- 

 ter which it contains. At a little before the seed is ripe, 

 when it should be cut, it affords no less than 111-2 drachms 

 of nutritive substance to the pound. It is most useful for 

 sheep in the form of hay. 



Mr. Youatt proceeds no farther than the above, except the 

 mention of some of the artificial grasses, such as tares and 

 the several varieties of vetches ; but very many years must 

 elapse, before necessity will require their culture in this 

 country. 



Of the Clovers, the most valuable variety for general pur- 

 poses is the common red clover {Trifolium pratense). Sheefv 



