THE GRASSES— ITALIAN RYEGRASS. 71 



manure as many as eight or nine cuttings have been got 

 from it in certain years. It succeeds best on warm, moist 

 soils, particularly on loams rich in vegetable matter. It 

 also does well on clay soils of which the subsoil is 

 permeable. In warm situations and on light land it 

 is much benefited by irrigation. Its quality of rapid, 

 vigorous, and luxuriant growth has caused it to be 

 occasionally used for the extirpation of weeds which 

 are difficult to get rid of in the ordinary way, and the 

 same qualities make it suitable for fiUing up the blanks 

 in meadows of clover, Lucerne or Sainfoin. [Por this 

 purpose the soil is stirred with a harrow, the Italian 

 sown, and the ground then rolled.] 



Mr. M. J. SiTTTON says, given the desire of obtain- 

 ing from an acre of liberally fed land the largest 

 possible produce within twelve months, and Italian Eye- 

 grass has no equaL The most profitable way of growing 

 it is alone, because the crop can then be cut before any 

 of the stalks become hard and lose their nutritious 

 qualities. Many farmers make it a rule to sow in 

 October, and crops have sometimes been cut on warm, 

 moist soils at Christmas, and again in the following 

 April. Valuable as it is for alternate husbandry in 

 company of other grasses, such as Cocksfoot, Perennial 

 Eyegrass, and Timothy, yet in a permanent pasture it 

 is distinctly harmful, and should never be included in 

 a prescription for that purpose. It is so gross a feeder 

 as actually to choke and smother the Poas (Meadow 

 grasses) and finer Peseues, and — when- its own ephe- 

 meral course is run — it leaves the land destitute both 

 of plants and nourishment. It is objected that Twitch 

 is produced by Italian Eyegrass. With pure seed this 

 is impossible, but plenty of Italian Eyegrass with 

 Twitch in it is freely bought and sold every season. 



