Tall Oat-like Grass. 97 



the importation of the tall reed fescue of New Zealand, which is 

 an extremely coarse and harsh grass, and quite unsuitable as a 

 pasture grass. Any one seeing it in a pasture would be sure to 

 condemn it, and hence the bad reputation into which tall 

 fescue has fallen. As the Hhenish seed costs about twice as 

 much as that of the reed fescue from New Zealand, there is 

 therefore a strong temptation to supply the latter instead of the 

 former, and it is thus of obvious importance to obtain a guarantee 

 as to the kind supplied, and also to send it to the botanist 

 for examination. It may be well to mention that samples of 

 the New Zealand species usually contain ergot." 



Tall Oat-like grass (Avena elatior). — This is a very 

 hardy, drought-resisting and productive grass (for 

 which qualities it is much valued on the Continent), 

 and, the reader may remember, was much esteemed 

 and largely sown by the great Arthur Young, who, 

 however, ultimately gave it up in favour of cocksfoot, 

 which, in his opinion, much excels it. At one time 

 the late Mr. Faunce de Laune considered Avena elatior 

 to be a grass of medium quality, but subsequently saw 

 reason to place a much higher value upon it, and 

 states that in this view he was supported by Mr. Moore, 

 the late curator of Glasnevin. Sinclair says that it 

 " attains to maturity from seed in a very short space 

 of time, and that it is very early and productive in the 

 spring, and during the whole season grows rapidly after 

 cropping, and the culms are succulent." But the 

 produce, he tells us, " is very deficient of nutritive 

 matter, which contains an excess of the bitter extractive 

 and saline principles." There can be no doubt of its 

 value for permanent pasture, but it is, in error, objected 

 to by some for land that is ever to be lifted again, 

 because of the supposed difficulty of eradicating it ; but 

 Sinclair recommends it for alternate husbandry, though 

 in small proportion — the mixture he advises being 

 75 per cent, of cocksfoot, while the remaining 25 per 

 cent, is to consist of hard fescue, meadow fescue, rough- 

 stalked meadow grass, tall oat grass, timothy, ryegrass. 



