"extreme" level consisted of 100 percent (to a 1-cm. stubble) 

 of the herbage removed at flowering, followed by removing 

 75 percent of the regrowth near the seed-ripe developmental 

 stage of the control plants (August 8). The plants were 

 clipped during one growing season only. 



The different degrees of competition were created im- 

 mediately before the clipping treatments were begun. A de- 

 gree of no ("none") competition was achieved by tilling the 

 soil within a 60-cm. radius and from 5 to 8 cm. deep around 

 the selected fescue plant. This tilling was combined with care- 

 ful hoeing immediately adjacent to the plant to effectively 

 remove all competing vegetation. Conceivably, such tillage 

 might also increase aeration, infiltration, and nitrogen availa- 

 bility within the soil. The tilled areas were weeded periodical- 

 ly to maintain a competition-free condition throughout the 

 study. 



A degree of "partial" competition was created by clip- 

 ping to ground level all vegetation within a 60-cm. radius of 

 the selected fescue plants. This was done only at the time the 

 fescue plants were first clipped in July: the competing vegeta- 

 tion was then permitted to regrow without further hindrance. 

 The partial reduction treatment might be considered some- 

 w^hat similar to very heavy grazing of all competing vegeta- 

 tion, followed by complete rest. 



"Full" competition was obtained by allowing the undis- 

 turbed vegetation to remain around the selected fescue plants. 



Plant response was evaluated shortly after flowering in 

 1968 by measuring live basal area (total basal area minus 

 unoccupied openings), leaf length, and number and length of 

 flower stalks. An index of herbage volume production was 

 obtained by multiplying live basal area by average leaf length. 

 These data were subjected to an analysis of variance (Snede- 

 cor 1959; 12.5),^ followed by a comparison of treatment 

 means by Keul's test (Snedecor 1959: 10.6).^ 



^Snedecor. George W. Statistical methods. 534 pp. Ames, Iowa: 

 Iowa State College Press. 1959. 



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