AGRICULTURAL GRASSES 55 



growth, and the fact was especially noticeable that the nitrate 

 produced an immense amount of root-fibre as weU as leafy herb- 

 age. It is also interesting to find that at Rothamsted, after 

 decreasing for three years, Rye Grass slightly increased in pro- 

 portion to the other suiTounding grasses, thus affording evidence 

 of its perennial character. Ammonia salts, which proved so 

 powerful a stimulant to some of the stronger grasses, did not 

 benefit Perennial Rye Grass sufficiently to enable it to hold 

 its position against them. On the nitrate plots only was its 

 position maintained. At Kidmore the plant flourished in the 

 bone plots. 



The highly glazed under side of the leaves of L. perenne, 

 together with the prominent mid-rib, are sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish it at aU seasons of the year. The leaf is naiTOw- 

 tipped, has an obtuse hgule, surrounded by an auricle or collar- 

 like portion of the blade ; whilst the younger leaves are folded 

 throughout their length on the mid-rib when emerging from 

 the flat purple sheath. 



For illustration, botanical description, and chemical 

 analysis of Sutton's Perennial Rye Grass — a branching variety, 

 considerably dwarfer than Pacey's, and still more perennial in 

 character — see pages 168 and 169. 



LOLIUM VULGARE. L. ANNUUM 

 (Common, or Annual Rye Grass). 



Seed of this plant is larger and flatter than that of the 

 Perennial and Itahan varieties. It is almost as broad as the 

 seed of Bromus moUis, but is lighter and awnless. Annual 

 Rye Grass deserves to be better known, for it possesses valuable 

 properties, yielding a good bulk of nourishing herbage of a 

 light green colour, and sending up a dense mass of flowering 

 culms. The roots, being smaU, are more easily got rid of 

 when the ley is ploughed than are the roots of the perennial 



