86 THE GRASSES— R.-S. MEADOW GRASS. 



Chaeles Johnson says it is certain that not any 

 among our indigenous species are more generally liked 

 by sheep and by cattle of all kinds. Its merits, how- 

 ever, have their limits, and a moist rich soil is essen- 

 tial to its development. On such soils no grass is 

 better adapted for constituting a leading portion of both 

 permanent and alternate pasture. 



Stillingeleet makes mention of a meadow at Orches- 

 ton, near Salisbury, which produced enormous crops. 

 CuETis got pieces of its turf sent to him (cut from five 

 different parts of the field) and planted same in his 

 garden, when he found they contained the following 

 grasses: — Eough - stalked Meadow grass in all five, 

 Twitch grass in four, Meadow Foxtail in two, Agrostis 

 palustris (Florin ?) in two, and Avena elatior in one. 



Dr. Steblee reports that a humid climate and a 

 strong rich soil suit it best, and that it is not absent 

 from any good grass land of Central and Northern 

 Europe. The first year it makes only lateral growth, 

 pushing out stolons which lie along the ground, strike 

 root, and — branching off in all directions — form a thick 

 interlaced growth, which gives, however, only a spare 

 yield. In the second year it makes a dense upright 

 growth, so close and compact that the scythe has diffi- 

 culty in cutting its way through it. Notwithstanding 

 this vigorous growth, it gives, however, but a feeble 

 second cutting. It is a very suitable grass for irrigation 

 meadows. Being a shallow-rooting grass, it takes its 

 principal supply of nutriment from the soil nearest the 

 surface. It should be cut before the flowering season. 



Mr. James Hunter says that Eough-stalked Meadow 

 grass, compared with the Smooth-stalked ditto {Poa pra- 

 tensis), is 25 per cent, more nutritious. 



