AGEICULTURAL GEASSES. 63 



At first Mr. Lawson imported it from Hamburg, but a few years 

 later he was able to obtain it from Leghorn. The experiments 

 made with Italian Eye Grass by the late Mr, WiUiam Dickinson 

 resulted in crops which were then considered marvellous, and for 

 many years his name was prominently associated with it. His 

 system of irrigation with liquid manure no doubt suggested the 

 idea of sewage treatment, and it is not too much to say that 

 without Italian Eye Grass the present method of sewage farming 

 could not be carried on. There is no other green crop, except 

 perhaps Bromus inermis, which can be substituted for it, or which 

 will yield equally valuable herbage. 



There are considerable variations in the character, pro- 

 ductiveness, and longevity of the several strains of this plant ; 

 still, roughly speaking, all are biennial. The seed which is im- 

 ported from the Continent yields a very heavy crop, but is so 

 infested with pernicious weeds as to need most careful cleaning 

 before it is fit to sow. To avoid this risk of making the land 

 foul, seed has long been grown in England, and continuous 

 selection has developed all the good qualities of the imported 

 stock, except its extreme vigour. Lolium italicum Suttoni, which 

 is now largely grown, was obtained by careful selection of 

 the most free-growing and leafy plants. It grows with extra- 

 ordinary rapidity, with but a small proportion of stalks, so that 

 the crop, whether green or made into hay, is of specially fine 

 quality. 



Itahan Eye Grass will grow in almost any soil, but is least 

 satisfactory on poor dry land, unless it can be freely assisted with 

 liquid manure. Still, fair results have been obtained from heaths 

 dressed with marl and farm-yard dung. This grass flourishes 

 in warmth and moisture, and in rich damp soils the growth is 

 extremely rapid. Irrigation by hquid manure results in enor- 

 mous crops following each other in surprisingly swift succession ; 

 and, although the plant is succulent beyond comparison, it is 

 very hardy, remains uninjured by our coldest winters, starts 

 earlier and grows later in autumn than any other grass. 



