1920.] 



Plant Breeding at Aberystwyth. 



635 



maintained growth more or less all through the winter and 

 produced more winter foliage than did the red clovers. It 

 flowered and set seed the following spring. The plant is being 

 further tested in rod plots sown at various rates alone and in 

 competition with red clover and with ryegrass and cocksfoot. 

 The evidence so far obtained suggests that the plant may be 

 particularly valuable for providing an autumn bite on stubbles, 

 as when sown under corn it does not make tall growth. 



(2) Phalaris nodosa. — This plant was sown in April, and 

 had made luxuriant growth by August, the foliage beiiig 

 abundant and the leaves broad. The grass is grown in South 

 Africa, and according to Bews it gives rich pasturage, being 

 both hardy and frost resisting.* 



(3) Danthonia pilosa. — Seed sown at the end of April pro- 

 duced good plants in August, when one or two sent up flower- 

 ing heads. The foliage is dark green, forming dense little 

 clusters, and the leaves are rather thick and narrow. The 

 seeds of this grass would seem to be successfully employed in 

 mixtures in New Zealand. 



(4) Teff Grass (Eragrostis abyssinica). — This was tried in 

 1919, and again this spring. It was thought that it might be 

 useful as a late spring-sown catch crop. In 1919- it was sown 

 on 3rd July, and had made quite good growth by the end of 

 August, but was browned by the first slight frost: sown in 

 June and again in July, 1920, under the wet conditions 

 obtaining, the plants never started into growth, the contrast 

 between the two seasons being very noteworthy. This is thus 

 a plant which may possibly repay further trial in the east and 

 south of England, but is obviously of no value in Wales. 

 Bews states that this annual grass is successfully grown for 

 hay in the High Veld areas of Natal and the Transvaal. 



(5) Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) . — This plant, when sown 

 in garden trials, showed itself capable of producing a con- 

 siderably heavier crop than the common vetch. As Lawsont 

 states, it comes away slowly at first, but when fully grown 

 produces a very heavy crop. The seed is at present much 

 more expensive than is that of common vetch, but if seed 

 could be grown at all economically in this country the plant 

 should be again extensively tried. { Field scale trials are 

 being arranged this autumn, since it would appear that 



*Bews, J. W., " The Grasses and Grasslands of South Africa." 

 x " Vegetable Products of Scotland." 



} Piper (" Forage Plants and their Culture ") states that Hairy Vetch 

 was cultivated in England in 1815 and in Scotland in 1833. and that it is 

 now (1917) becoming more and more appreciated in America. 



