THE NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH GRASSES. 17 
change of seed, in course of time. The Italian rye is com- 
paratively new: and though it is perhaps not so great a 
favourite as it was in some districts, yet it may be worth a 
trial in most cases where the common rye-grass has been 
kept up in the rotation for an ofttimes repeated series. 
It was with these facts in view that I was induced to 
experiment on a few grasses which I thought might be ser- 
viceable for seed-crops, and in 1849 I tried patches of the 
following : — 
1. Anthoxanthum odoratum—Sweet vernal grass. 
2. Alopecurus pratensis—Meadow foxtail. 
8. Phlewm pratense—Timothy grass. 
4. Dactylis glomerata—Cocksfoot grass ; and by the side 
of these, by way of comparison— 
5. Lolium perenne—Perennial rye-grass. 
6. 55 var. Italiewn—lItalian rye-grass. 
My plate are on a band of stiff marl, resting on the great 
oolite freestone, and are never manured: the grasses are cut 
down yearly, and thus the following observations upon them 
made this summer may be of interest in this part of the 
inquiry :— 
This year, 1853, all of them were cut with the scythe in 
July, at which time No.1 had seeded: at present it is 
rapidly dying out as it has but few barren shoots. 
Nos. 2, 8, and 4 stooled well, and increased in culms and 
barren shoots from year to year: they increase in quantity, 
and all of them have even sent up many culms for a second 
crop, and all show a large quantity of aftermath. 
Nos. 5 and 6 have nearly disappeared. 
We see from these data that, in as far as yield and per- 
manency are concerned, Nos, 2, 8, and 4 may be used 
advantageously: No. 2 is considerably earlier than 3 and 4, 
which in some cases may be much in its favour. From these 
circumstances I am induced to think that these grasses 
would be well worthy a trial on a greater scale than has 
yet been accorded them in artificial pastures. 
Diseases of Grasses —Under this head it seems desirable 
