THE SELECTION OF GEASSES AND CLOVERS. 57 



husbandry in the company of other strong-growing grasses, such 

 as Cocksfoot, Perennial Eye Grass, and Timothy, my father has 

 always objected to its use in permanent pastures, even during 

 the years when the contrary custom prevailed. His views are 

 now admitted to be sound, and I cannot conceive of any cir- 

 cumstances which would warrant the use of Italian Eye Grass 

 in forming a permanent pasture. 



With singular inconsistency, some writers who disapprove 

 the use of Italian Eye Grass in a mixture of permanent grasses, 

 advocate its employment for renovating an old pasture. A more 

 illogical proposition has never been made, for when the brief 

 existence of the Italian Eye Grass terminates, the pasture will be 

 left in a worse state than before. 



There is a prejudice against this grass because it severely 

 taxes the soil, and it is quite true that Italian Eye Grass will 

 appropriate all the nourishment it can get. But that is an argu- 

 ment in its favour. It means that the plant is a powerful agent 

 in extracting material from the soil, which it yields up in valuable 

 food for cattle. Given the desire of obtaining from an acre of 

 liberally fed land the largest possible produce within twelve 

 months, and Italian Eye Grass has no equal for fulfilling the 

 condition. 



Another prejudice is that Italian Eye Grass is a bad pre- 

 paration for wheat. On that point Mr. Dickinson's own words 

 can be quoted : ' Thirty sheep may be kept upon Itahan Eye 

 Grass, fed through hurdles, upon as little land as ten can be kept 

 upon the common system upon common grass, and the finest 

 crops of wheat, barley, oats, and beans may be grown after the 

 Itahan Eye Grass has been fed off the two years of its existence. 

 Wheat invariably follows the ItaUan, and splendid crops are 

 grown.' 



Again, it is objected that twitch is produced by Italian Eye 

 Grass. With pure seed this is impossible, but plenty of Italian 

 Eye Grass seed with twitch in it is freely bought and sold every 

 year. The remedy is in the buyer's own hands. But if twilch 



