50 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



LOLIUM PERENNE 

 (Perennial Rye Grass). 



An American writer enumerates between sixty and 

 seventy varieties of Rye Grass, but no great experience is needed, 

 to discover that in so long a list there are more names than 

 sorts. The majority are mere synonyms ; others are selections 

 having no permanent character ; so that for practical purposes 

 the number of distinct varieties may be reduced to about half 

 a dozen. In the United States, moreover, the term Rye 

 Grass is appHed to several species of Elymus ; hence it is 

 necessary to make sure as to the species concerned when 

 reading American observations on Rye Grass. 



Lolium perenne was the first grass gathered separately for 

 agricultural purposes. It is better known and more frequently 

 used than any other species, and notwithstanding the assertions 

 that it is biennial and not perennial, I am satisfied that it is 

 entitled to the name by which it has been known since 1611, 

 the date of the earhest agricultural book which mentions it. 

 That this grass is not perennial on aU soils, nor under adverse 

 conditions, may be freely admitted, and under similar circum- 

 stances few, if any, grasses are durable. But when seed of 

 true Perennial Rye Grass is sown on suitable soil and the 

 natural requirements of the plant are met, it will prove to be 

 perpetual. 



Perennial Rye Grass was in this country fii-st sown in 

 the ChUtern parts of Oxfordshire, and is stiU of great service 

 in some portions of that district on cold sour clays, and on 

 light stony land so deficient in hme that it wiU not grow 

 Sainfoin, 



Dr. F. G. Stebler describes it as ' one of the most 

 valuable plants in our meadows. For pasture on clay soils 

 it cannot be replaced by any other plant, and therefore it 

 is largely used in mixtures for forming pasture grass of best 



