638 Plant Breeding at Aberystwyth. 



foliage, a marked contrast to all other varieties, with the 

 exception of Cornish marl, which, although somewhat different 

 from late flowering, is none the less late to flower. A 

 similar disease of red clover, due to the fungus Gloeosporium 

 caulivorum, is known on the Continent and in America, where 

 it has frequently been the cause of serious damage to the 

 clover crop. 



The small scale nationality trials have proved interesting in 

 several other directions. 



It has been noted that tall oat grass grown alone gives very 

 large first hay crops. The following comparative figures show 

 the average yields of hay from small pure plots cut on 1st June, 

 The percentage of leaf of the hay is also shown: — 



Comparative Percentage of Leaf 



Hay Yields. in the Hay. 



Timothy 100 43*5 



Tall Oat Grass 96 42'0 



Perennial Ryegrass ... ... 92 . 18 - 



Italian Ryegrass 80 24'0 



Cocksfoot (Commercial) G3 19'0 



Meadow Fescue 49 46*0 



It will be noticed that perennial ryegrass cut heavier than 

 Italian; this is doubtless due in part to the fact that Italian 

 ryegrass matures somewhat later than perennial, but the chief 

 difference is probably owing to the excessive relative ' 1 stemmi- 

 ness " of perennial. It was noteworthy that Italian ryegrass 

 stood much better than did perennial, isolated Italian plants 

 remaining standing in perennial beds when the whole of the, 

 perennial had gone down. Cocksfoot also stands well; tall 

 oat grass and Timothy are moderate in this respect; while late 

 flowering red clover goes down very much worse than broad 

 red, probably because the plant is taller and produces more 

 numerous lateral branches, especially towards the upper third 

 of the stem. 



It is well known that Westernwolth's Italian ryegrass makes 

 more rapid growth than does ordinary Italian. This fact was 

 amply confirmed by the trials at the Station. A number of 

 Italian strains of which the seeds were supplied by the 

 Ministry of Agriculture were included in the trials. It was 

 noticed that the Italian vetches (Vicia sativa) produced in 

 twelve weeks very appreciably less growth than did vetches 

 harvested in Essex; that the lucerne showed poorly in com- 

 parison with seed from Provence; and that the sainfoin did 



