150 Agricultural Section [pt ii 



Festuca ovina, L. 



For Botanical description see p. 101. 



Sheep's Fescue and its varieties are indigenous to most of the 

 temperate regions of the world. All the varieties are perennial. 

 The common form, var. vulgaris, forms compact tufts and seldom 

 grows more than a few inches high. It grows well at very high 

 altitudes and in dry climates, and is one of the hardiest of our 

 grasses. It is abundant in Britain, especially upon natural up- 

 land sheep pastures where it often forms the principal constituent 

 of the herbage. Although its produce is small it is nutritious and 

 sheep thrive where it abounds. Wherever the conditions are 

 favourable the plant propagates itself by shedding its seeds and 

 there is seldom any need for sowing it. The true seed is difficult 

 to obtain commercially, and what little is procured is mainly used 

 in the formation of lawns — a purpose for which this plant is very 

 suitable. The variety tenuifolia has leaves which are extremely 

 short and fine (bristle-like), and it is especially valuable for the 

 production of lawns of the finest nature. 



Commercial Seed. 



Good samples of the above varieties should have a Purity of 

 80 to 90 per cent., and the pure seed should give a Germination 

 of 70 to 80 per cent, in twenty-one days. The impurities usually 

 consist in the main of chaffy material especially in the case of the 

 fine-leaved variety. 



The variety duriuscula — known as Hard Fescue — is the most 

 useful form of F. ovina for permanent pasture. It is larger and 

 more vigorous in growth than the ordinary type, and is a useful 

 "bottom" grass on almost all kinds of soils. It withstands both 

 cold and drought extremely well and thrives in exposed situations 

 and at high altitudes. Under such conditions, and on poor dry 

 soils, it should be freely used when forming grazing land. Its 

 value for meadow land is comparatively small, and it should only 

 be sown sparingly on fertile soils which will support more heavily 

 yielding grasses. Its maximum development is attained by the 

 second or third year after sowing. 



Commercial Seed. 



Hard Fescue seed is obtained chiefly from the Continent. 



