THE GRASSES— PERENNIAL RYEGRASS. 73 



than over any other in the list ; — that is to say, over 

 its qualities, its duration, its feeding value, and so forth. 

 We must only let the various authorities speak, and 

 draw our own conclusions. 



Lawson's Agrostographia says it possesses several 

 good qualities to recommend it to the attention of 

 cultivators, the principal of which are — 



1. Its suitableness to a great variety of soils. 



2. The facility with which it is propagated by reason 

 of its seed being produced iu abundance, and their 

 uniformity in ripening. 



3. The fibrous structure of its roots, which fits it in 

 an eminent degree for alternate husbandry. 



In respect to duration the most permanent varieties 

 of it have no claim to any title beyond that of sub- 

 perennial. 



Stillingflbet, writing more than a century ago, says 

 that many are tempted by the facility of procuring the 

 seeds of this grass to lay down grounds near their 

 houses (where they want a fine turf) with it, for which 

 purpose, unless the soil is very rich, a worse grass can-- 

 not be sown, as it will certainly die off entirely in a 

 very few years. 



Curtis, alluding to the many varieties of this grass 

 he had met with, reports that he had seen a double- 

 flowered variety; also one with awns (Curtis's work 

 was published thirty-five years before Lolium italicum 

 was introduced by the Lawsons). Again, he had seen 

 a variety with viviparous florets, and another with 

 branching panicle. 



Chables Johnson says it is exclusively in the succes- 

 sional system of cultivation, and, in a few isolated in- 

 stances apart from it, and dependent upon peculiarity 



