10 



PASTURE PLANTS AND PASTURES OF N.Z. 



past ten years. Seed from old pastures is preferred by 

 buyers, as this tends to ensure that the seed has been saved 

 from plants of a truly perennial nature. Poverty Bay seed 

 is in great demand because of this factor. Other named 

 strains are Pacey's, and Devonshire Evergreen, but their 

 vogue in New Zealand is only slight. The seed from old 

 plants tends to be small and shotty, and so the weight 

 per measured bushel is an indication of the age of the plant 

 whence the seed was gathered. Good seed runs about 29 

 pounds to the bushel, and an average price is 4s. 9d. per 

 bushel of 20 pounds. 



Italian Rye {Lolium iialicum). — A stronger growing grass 

 than Perennial Rye. It is similar in all its botanical 

 characters except that the sheath just underneath the blades 

 is round instead of compressed. In the flowering stage a 



noticeable difference occurs 

 in that the flowers of Italian 

 Rye have the hair-like 

 projections called "awns," 

 which are absent from 

 Perennial Rye. 



Italian Rye produces 

 much more feed than does 

 Perennial, and is very weU 

 liked by stock of all kinds. 

 It, however, lasts only one 

 or two years, except on the 

 very heaviest and richest 

 ground when it may become 

 almost permanent. It is 

 sometimes used alone (at 

 about 40 pounds per acre) 

 or with Red Clover, for sow- 

 ing in Autumn to obtain a 



Fig. 4. — Italian Kye Grass, 

 (after Fream). 



