60 PEEMANENT AND TEMPOEAKY PASTUEES. 



progress and development of those grasses which are slow in 

 coming to maturity. On all these grounds I advocate the use 

 of Perennial Eye Grass seed in prescriptions for permanent 

 pastures. Even on land unsuitable for maintaining Eye Grass 

 permanently, excellent service will be rendered by the plant 

 while it lasts. On such soils it will yield up its place when 

 other kinds are sufficiently estabhshed to occupy the land, but 

 meanwhile crops of valuable herbage will be secured. 



Most of the Eye Grass seed sown in England is saved in 

 Scotland and in the North of Ireland, and I have no doubt that 

 its acclimatisation in those cold districts tends to maintain its 

 hardiness and its permanency. But the popular notion that 

 the first year's crop of Perennial Eye Grass seed produces only an 

 annual plant is a mere fiction, although to ensure all the crop 

 being the perennial variety maiden seed should be rejected for 

 permanent pasture. 



For alternate husbandry Perennial Eye Grass may be re- 

 garded as indispensable for all soils. Even on land where it 

 certainly would not be permanent, it should be liberally sown for 

 a short term of years. The excellence of its herbage, the great 

 weight of produce, its early and late growth, and the . important 

 fact that it endures the trampling of stock, are all strongly in 

 favour of its free employment. 



The endurance of Eye Grass under severe treading deserves 

 more than a mere passing mention. By the sides of country 

 ruads a thick formation of turf, the envy of those who wish to 

 make a lawn, is often observable ; and this turf will be found to 

 consist almost exclusively of Eye Grass. On one occasion, in 

 company with Mr. Carruthers, we both at the same instant noticed 

 the strong development of Eye Grass at the gate of one of my 

 pastures, then laid up for hay, where cattle usually congregated 

 before milking-time when the field is grazed. Examination 

 proved that the Eye Grass was also prominent on tlie green path 

 across the field. Had the extraordinary growth been near the 

 gate alone, the inference might have been drawn that the increase 



