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in our colder climate under an imitative treatment, or similar flood- 

 ing of the land, in poor, dry soils, it either fails altogether, or resumes 

 an aspect approaching the wild uncultured state from which it has 

 originally become modified. 



Under the " convertible system of husbandry," or that of alternate 

 cropping, the Italian Ray-grass is often sown with clover, especially 

 with the beautiful and highly productive species of southern Europe, 

 Trifolium incarnatum, or with other kinds of grasses ; either to be 

 consumed as pasture, or for cutting and carrying off the ground as 

 green food, or otherwise to remain for mowing as hay; in all cases, 

 with a view of improving the land for corn crops. In most instances it 

 has been found to add greatly at first to the quantity of herbage, but 

 the effect soon diminishes. The water-meadow seems to afford the 

 widest scope for its capabilities, as being the nearest approach to its 

 natural habitat, and most accordant with the circumstances under 

 which it originated. So active is its vegetative power, when stimu- 

 lated by abundant moisture and the other consequences resulting from 

 river inundation, that, in Swltsserland, hay is said to have been made 

 in July on a newly-made water-meadow sown with Italian Ray-grass 

 in the March previous. But its value is only temporary, as when this 

 highly-prodactive grass " is sown by itself, and allowed to go to seed, it 

 becomes thin after the first year, from many of the plants dying off ; it 

 may, therefore, be prudent to mix other kinds of grasses with it, which 

 will supply its place when it is worn out. It is a most excellent 

 practice to sow Italian Ray-grass on old meadows and pastures at the 

 time when they are recruited with compost or fresh earth. If they are 

 well harrowed and scarified, and the Ray-grass be sown before the 

 roller goes over them, the succeeding crop of hay will be much in- 

 creased in quantity and improved in quality." The effect in the first 

 year after sowing is exceedingly striking to a person observing it for 

 the first time : the only question to be considered is the additional 

 expense and the accompanying possibility of the return not being 

 equivalent, which in some situations would be the case, especially 

 where the soil is naturally dry, and capability for irrigation is not 

 at hand. 



Those who would depreciate the value of Ray-grass, and decry its 

 use in farming on the existing system, quarrel especially with the 

 absence in it of a strictly perennial character. But, considered in its 

 proper place, or merely as an artificial grass adapted only to peculiai 

 circumstances, its worth cannot be reasonably disputed. Other species 

 of grass may be more extensively applicable ; but this is one, that, of 

 small account in its original state, cultiire has modified — has, indeed, it 

 may be said, forced into unnatural productiveness. Ought we to be 

 surprised that a plant so conditioned should fail, when the stimulus 

 that first wrought the change is exhausted or withheld ? The cause of 

 the failure of which some practical agriculturists complain is, that they 

 have required and expected nature to maintain that which nature does 

 not acknowledge, a property that we have induced, but which she has 

 not bestowed. 



As an uncultured pasture grass, the Lolium perenne holds, perhaps. 



