THE GRASSES— ITALIAN RYEGRASS. 69 



Limerick, writes — "We like Eyegrass and Yorkshire 

 Fog in our pastures, and stock here appear to relish 

 them." 



Italian Ryeg^rass. 



(Lolium italicum.) 

 Seed weighs up to 22 lbs. per. bushel. 



Standard of germination, 80 per cent. 



Chakles Johnson says the great value of this grass 

 consists in its being of more rapid growth from seed 

 than any of the other kinds, and in the quantity of 

 fine close herbage it produces under favourable circum- 

 stances. The water-meadow seems to afford the widest 

 scope for its capabilities, as being the nearest approach 

 to its natural habitat, and most accordant with the cir- 

 cumstances under which it originated. 



Lawson's AgrostogrwpTiia says that it is an invaluable 

 grass for alternate husbandry, yielding as it does an 

 early, bulky, and quickly succeeding herbage. General 

 experience, since the first introduction by Messrs. Law- 

 son of this grass to Britain, has demonstrated that two 

 seasons of Italian Eyegrass are all that can be depended 

 upon with certainty; and in very wet, cold, spongy 

 soils, it will often exhibit a thin stock the second 

 season. Instances have, however, occurred in which as 

 many as five or six successive years' produce have been 

 reaped from the same field — yielding annually, on an 

 average, about 7^ tons of dry hay per acre; but this 

 has arisen more from the ground having been resown 

 in the course of reaping the seed, than from the actual 

 duration of the original plants. 



