1920.] 



Perennial Ryegrass. 



675 



per acre for each of the first three years, by 20 cwt. annually for 

 the next three years, and by 8 cwt. annually for the last five 

 years. The benefit was thus greater in the later years than 

 in the earlier, and the average crop of hay per acre for the 

 eleven years was 34 cwt. with wild white clover and 23 J cwt. 

 without. Wild white clover increased the hay crops not only 

 by its own herbage but also because the nitrogen collected by 

 its roots stimulated the grasses growing with it. Better 

 grasses are now growing on the wild white clover plot; there 

 are fewer weedy grasses and less weedy herbage; the hay 

 throughout has been superior in quality, and the aftermaths 

 have been much more valuable. 



Treatment of the Ley. — A good seed bed is of the greatest 

 importance, especially when land laid down from recently 

 ploughed out old turf is sown away. Such old turf specially 

 requires good harrowing to get a tilth, and rolling well to get a 

 firm seed bed. The best seed bed will be obtained when seeds 

 are sown with a cereal crop like barley', in spring. If the land 

 is heavy, ploughing should be completed in early winter, so 

 that the frost may pulverise the surface. At Cockle Park the 

 experience is that grass and clover seeds are likely to do best 

 when sown immediately after a spring- sown corn crop. 



In the case of the three-year leys instanced by Professor 

 Gilchrist, 10 cwt. per acre of basic slag (39 per cent, 

 phosphates) was applied to the young seeds as soon as possible 

 after the barley crop was harvested. This was the only manure 

 used throughout each period of three years. On Tower Hill 

 Field 10 cwt. per acre of basic slag (39 per cent, phosphates) 

 has been applied every third year. 



Late Flowering Red Clover. — It will be observed that the 

 mixture used for the three-year leys includes late flowering 

 red clover as well as wild white clover. This is due to the fact 

 that clover sickness gives much trouble at Cockle Park, and 

 late flowering red clover gives better results than ordinary red 

 clover. 



Perennial Ryegrass. — In the past, the usual experience of 

 farmers has been that perennial ryegrass remains a good plant 

 only for a few years, and, under ordinary conditions, weedy 

 herbage then takes its place. Professor Gilchrist explained 

 this failure as being- due largely to the absence of close grazing 

 and heavy treading by stock. Probably no grasses stand close 

 grazing and heavy treading better than do perennial ryegrass 



