GRASSES AND CLOVERS 



557 



foot, meadow foxtail, meadow fescue and all the more lasting 

 grasses, do not attain their maximum of growth until the third or 

 fourth year after sowing. 



(iii) Tufted and creeping ' habit.' — Some grasses grow in more 

 or less isolated tufts, and are incapable of forming a compact 

 turf when sown alone ; while others, such as meadow foxtail and 

 smooth-stalked meadow-grass,have underground stems or rhizomes 

 similar to those of couch grass, which spread in various directions 

 and send up green leafy shoots over considerable areas. In order 

 to obtain an even and uniform ' sole ' of turf, it is essential that 

 mixtures should contain an adequate proportion of both classes. 



(iv) Height. — The grasses and other plants used for mixtures 

 vary considerably in stature : the tall-growing kinds of special 

 use in leys for mowing are designated '■top-grasses,' while the 

 shorter kinds are termed 'bottom-grasses' and are employed 

 to form ' bottom ' in meadows and pastures. 



Although no hard line of demarcation exists between 'top- 

 grasses' and 'bottom-grasses,' the following classification represents 

 the general character of the common grasses and clovers in this 

 respect. Some of the plants mentioned, such as perennial rye- 

 grass and rough-stalked meadow-grass, may reasonably be 

 included in both divisions : — 



{a) Top-grasses. 

 Italian Rye-grass. 

 Cocksfoot. 

 Tall Oat-grass. 

 Timothy. 

 Meadow Foxtail. 

 Rough-Stalked Meadow-grass. 

 Red Clover. 

 Alsike Clover. 



(b) Bottom-grasses. 

 Golden Oat-grass. 

 Crested Dogstail. 

 Perennial Rye-grass. 

 Smooth-Stalked Meadow-grass 

 Sheep's Fescue. 

 Hard Fescue. 

 Fiorin. 



Sweet Vernal-grass. 

 White Clover. 

 Kidney-Vetch. 

 Bird's-Foot Trefoil. 

 Black Medick. 



