48 THE GRASSES— COCKSFOOT. 



foot, with one part each of Hard Fescue, Eough-stalked 

 Meadow grass. Tall Oat-grass, Timothy, Perennial Eye- 

 grass, and White Clover — to secure the most productive 

 and nutritive pastures in alternation with grain crops 

 on soils of the best quality ; and even on soils of an 

 inferior nature, under the circumstances of unfavourable 

 seasons, this mixture will afford nutritive herbage when 

 the land would have been comparatively devoid of it 

 if one species of grass only had been employed. It is 

 further stated, on the authority of Sinclair, that when 

 Cocksfoot is suffered to grow rank or old for want of 

 sufficient stocking, it contains nearly one-half less 

 nourishment than that which is of recent growth. 



Professor Phakes (of Mississippi) says it may be 

 mowed from two to four times a year, according to 

 latitude, season, and treatment. It will grow well on 

 any soil containing sufficient clay, and not holding 

 too much water. Cocksfoot grass is easily cured and 

 handled ; also it is readily seeded and catches with cer- 

 tainty. I know but one objection to it, i.e., like Tall 

 Oat-grass it is disposed to grow in clumps and leave 

 much of the ground uncovered. This may be remedied 

 by thick seeding, using 2j, or better, 3 bushels of seed 

 per acre. In common with others I prefer Eed Clover 

 with Cocksfoot — it fills the gaps and matures at the 

 same time. One peck of Eed Clover seed and six pecks 

 of Cocksfoot is a good proportion per acre. Sheep 

 leave all other grasses if they can find this — and, acre 

 for acre, it will sustain twice as many sheep or other 

 stock as Timothy. Cut at the proper stage it makes a 

 much better hay than Timothy, and is greatly preferred 

 by animals — being easier to masticate, digest, and assi- 

 milate, in fact more like green grass in flavour, tender- 

 ness, and solubility. 



