276 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



Although perennial rye grass has long stood in the 

 front rank among cultivated grasses in Britain, it may 

 not become greatly popular in this country, for the rea- 

 son, probably, that in the sections best adapted to its 

 growth, timothy has stood higher in favor. While it 

 is of a vigorous habit of growth, starts early in the sea- 

 son and produces reasonably good grazing and hay, it 

 has some weaknesses. Being a shallow feeding plant, it 

 is easily injured by drought ; being a gross feeding plant 

 it is exhaustive on the soil. It is too short lived to an- 

 swer-well for permanent meadows or pastures and can- 

 not stand temperatures that are quite low in winter, 

 nor great heat in summer. Moreover it is relatively low 

 in nutrition and in a dry season produces but little aft- 

 ermath after it is mown. 



But under favorable conditions, that is on somewhat 

 heavy soils, it is a great producer, more especially of 

 hay, and it produces seed abundantly. 



Live stock are fond of it both as hay and pasture, but 

 its relatively low nutrition is against it for both uses. 

 It is not well able long to withstand the crowding of cer- 

 tain other grasses; hence, under United States condi- 

 tions it is usually better to sow it alone or along with 

 other grasses or clovers intended for meadows of limited 

 duration. It has also been recommended for lawns but 

 for this purpose it is usually too short lived. 



Distribution. — Perennial rje grass is native to Eur- 

 ope and probably parts of Asia and Africa. In the mild 

 and temperate climates of England, France and other 

 countries of Europe, it has long^been cultivated, in Eng- 

 land for more than two hundred years and in Erance for 



