ch. vin] Perennial Rye-grass 153 



thus quickly covered with a thick growth of "bottom" grass. 

 During the early part of the nineteenth century, and before the 

 merits of other grasses were well understood, this plant was prob- 

 ably over-estimated in value. Moreover as it was the only grass 

 of which seed could be readily obtained it was frequently the only 

 one sown in conjunction with clovers for permanent pasture. 

 This excessive use, and the fact that it rapidly died out on some 

 soils, led to its being wholly condemned by some authorities as soon 

 as the seed of other perennial grasses became available. It was 

 said that it crowded out better plants, that it rapidly exhausted 

 the soil, and that it was only a biennial, or short-lived perennial, 

 and therefore wholly unsuitable for permanent pasture. 



Subsequent experiments and observation have shown that this 

 wholesale condemnation was without justification. That it makes 

 very great demands upon the soil and requires liberal manurial 

 treatment is perfectly true; but this is also true of most plants 

 which develop rapidly and produce heavy and nutritious crops. 

 This quick and reliable growth of perennial Rye-grass is in fact one 

 of its most valuable characters. On stiff clays where the surface is 

 wet in winter, and dry and hard in the summer, it is often difficult 

 to get most useful grasses to establish themselves. Seedlings 

 which are slow in growth get in a state of stagnation in winter on 

 such land, whilst in hot weather they become scorched off especi- 

 ally when the surface cracks as is commonly the case. But when 

 some perennial rye-grass is sown it grows so quickly that the sur- 

 face becomes effectively covered and protected against the danger 

 of cracking during the first season — one of the most critical periods. 

 Used in moderation it does not crowd out other plants but actu- 

 ally protects them and favours their later development. In this 

 way it makes the formation of grass land comparatively easy and 

 certain even under rather unfavourable conditions. While the 

 wholesale use of perennial Rye-grass is undoubtedly a wrong prac- 

 tice, and at the present time unnecessary, it is equally an error 

 to omit it from mixtures for permanent grass altogether. For 

 upon the soils most adapted for grass it is quite permanent, and 

 taking all points into consideration it is perhaps unsurpassed as a 

 pasture grass in Britain. In several of our best grazing districts 

 it forms a large proportion of the herbage. 



