LIGHT SEEDS. 133 
to feed on most; but foxtail has the advantage of being early, 
and in the spring of the year stock are less dainty than later 
on, for which reason we would give the preference to meadow 
fescue. 
It is a dear seed to sow, and it takes three years, under 
favourable circumstances, to arrive at maturity. The poor 
show it makes on its first appearance often causes it to be 
neglected by the seed seller, but those of experience would 
not be biassed on account of this, and the grower should use 
it freely on good land. Flowering towards the end of June, 
the seeds ripens in August, consequentially it is a splendid 
grass for hay. It is thoroughly perennial, and need never be 
exhausted by being allowed to get too forward before it is cut, 
as is often so detrimental to the earlier flowering grasses. An 
important point to know is that nearly all grasses Getenorate 
in nutrative value immediately after flowering. 
The appearance of this seed is so similar to perennial rye- 
grass that one cannot distinguish between them without the 
aid of a microscope. Meadow fescue appears to be slightly 
more pointed at the small end than perennial, and the small 
cut-off petal which springs from the base at the lower end 
of the seed inside seems to be slenderer and longer than in 
perennial of equal size, instead of being thicker as it leaves the 
base, as in perennial grass. 
As this seed costs four times as much as perennial ryegrass, 
it is important to see that you get the genuine article. In 
weight about 28 lb. goes to the bushel, and it is estimated 
that there are 225,000 germinating seeds per pound. 
SPIKED FESCUE (FESTUCA PRATENSIS, VAR. LOLIACEA, 
Hup. Hoo Bas.). 
This is a moist land-loving fescue, which is so similiar 
to meadow fescue that there does not appear to be any 
