THE SELECTION OF GEASSES AND CLOVEES. 37 



every ten of grass consisted of nutritive matter ; while at mid- 

 summer the proportion was only about one pound in thirty. 

 These are important facts to be borne in mind in laying down 

 a new pasture. To make Cocksfoot into hay at the end of 

 April, however, necessitates sowing this grass alone, because 

 other varieties are not ready for cutting at that time ; but then 

 arises the grave objection that Cocksfoot manifests such a strong 

 tendency to grow in clumps that, with no other grass to fill up 

 the interstices, there will be almost as many gaps as plants. 



The great size of Cocksfoot points to its usefulness in covers, 

 although unfortunately it does not answer weU with brushwood. 

 Yet it thrives under trees, as is implied by its name of ' Orchard 

 Grass.' On pastures which are much shaded, a considerable 

 proportion should be sown in company with Foxtail, Various- 

 leaved Fescue, and other grasses which are rehable under 

 dripping fohage. 



Upon an understocked pasture Cocksfoot will send up its 

 flowering stems, and I strongly advocate running the mower over 

 in time to prevent seeding. 



Cocksfoot when stimulated with ammoniacal manures has a 

 remarkable tendency to smother and starve out the clover plants 

 of a pasture in which it abounds. 



The botanical description and chemical analysis are given on 

 page 140, facing an illustration. 



Pestuca pratensis (Hudson) {Meadow Fescue). — Much con- 

 fusion has arisen from the fact that Linnseus considered this grass 

 to be a mere strain of elatior. Hudson first gave it the rank 

 of a distinct species under the name of pratensis. Continental 

 botanists stiU follow Linnseus and call it elatior, reserving for the 

 larger species, known by English botanists as elatior, the title of 

 Festuca arundinacea or Festuca littorea. We have now, however, 

 to deal with the smaller species known as pratensis by Enghsh 

 botanists, or as generally called elatior, and sometimes elatior var. 

 pratensis Hudsoni, by Continental and American botanists. 



