Seed Mixtures for Va/rioux Soils. 55 



Agrostis stolonifura — Creeping bent, black couch, fiorin (so- 

 called in the Irish language), joint grass (England). — Young 

 devotes no less than 24 pages to this grass, as to which there 

 were many disputes ; but, for reasons that will be subsequently 

 given when recurring to the subject of this grass, it would, I 

 think, be unprofitable to quote what he says regarding it. 



Poa trivialis. — Young is of opinion that this plant never 

 flourishes in a dry soU. 



Avena elatior. — Young sowed this grass largely, but gave it 

 up in favour of cocksfoot. Elsewhere he says tall oatgrass is 

 good, but must give place to cocksfoot, which much exceeds it. 



I next turn to what Young says as regards seed and 

 seed mixtures, and desire particularly to call attention 

 to the fact that he especially insists on this point — 

 namely, that " whatever sort is used, thick sowing is 

 essential to success." 



In the case of a poor wet loam on a clay marl bottom, 

 he advises cocksfoot, crested dogstail, Yorkshire white 

 (Holcus lanatus), timothy, a portion of chicory and 

 barnet, and by all means (the more the better) yarrow. 



The quantities of seeds he recommends, if sown alone, 

 are — 



Cocksfoot, 4 bushels per acre. Yarrow (clean dressed), 12 lb. 

 Crested Dogstail, from 20 to Timothy, 8 lb. 



30 lb. Chicory, 12 lb. 



Yorkshire white, 4 bushels. Burnet, 15 lb. 



If in mixture, one-seventh of the above weights and 

 measures are to be used. Yorkshire white, he adds, is, 

 for mowing, good for little, and for hay chicory should 

 be excluded, as it takes too long to dry. He next gives 

 the mixtures which he thinks suitable for the under- 

 mentioned soils, and I would call attention to the fact 

 that from all of them ryegrass is omitted. 



For day. — Cocksfoot, dogstail, foxtail, trefoil, Yorkshire 

 white, timothy. 



Loam. — ^White clover, Yorkshire white, fescue, foxtail, dogs- 

 tail, poa, timothy, yarrow, cocksfoot. 



