Grass 
feeders, and ryegrass, cocksfoot, meadow-fescue, and 
timothy are very deep-rooted A good pasture must 
have all these varieties. 
V. Some grasses develop quickly and die out alto- 
gether in two or three years. Others take some time to 
mature, but will remain for a very long time when once 
established. This complicates the question, for the 
mixture must contain both temporary grasses to afford 
a crop during the first two or three years and the others 
as well. 
VI. Germination and good Seed—The percentage of 
seeds which germinate is not always the same; it is 
only 80 per cent. for golden oat grass and sweet vernal, 
85 per cent. for smooth-stalked poa but 97 per cent. 
for rough-stalked, and 98 per cent. for timothy and 
Italian ryegrass. Still greater differences are probably 
due to the particular seed used, for selected and well- 
nourished seeds will produce a far finer crop than a 
miscellaneous sample, 
VII. Perhaps the most important point of all is to 
thoroughly realise the different partialities and pre- 
ferences of the grasses themselves. Some prefer a dryish 
soil of a sandy or stony character, others like a moist, 
damp, low-lying alluvial meadow. Some, usually the 
worst, grow anywhere, and do not mind whether the 
soil is good or bad, The difficulty of discovering these 
individual preferences is very great. In a general way 
the tall and richly productive grasses prefer and do best 
in good soil, while the less valuable kinds, like sheep’s 
fescue, thrive on poor and stony ground, 
VIII. Finally, there is perhaps the most important 
point of all, the price of the different grass seeds. These 
are sold by the pound. But the number of seeds in a 
pound varies enormously. Suppose one wants meadow 
fescue and notices the price to be 7d. a pound. This 
272 
