4i8 Perennial and Italian Rye Grass. [oct., 



Perennial Rye Grass has been cultivated in England for more 

 than two hundred years. In grows nearly everywhere and on all 

 classes of soil. Though at times much de- 

 Perennial preciated and at other times over estimated, 

 and Italian Eye v. , . c , , . , 



Grass.* !t 1S > nevertheless, one of the most valuable 



of grasses, both for permanent pasture and 

 for rotation cropping. It is specially valuable as a bottom 

 grass on soils of a somewhat heavy nature, where it lasts for 

 many years, but its duration as a perennial plant is largely 

 •dependent upon the character of the soil and of the climate. 

 As it tillers freely, it forms a more or less complete bottom 

 •sward. Depasturing should commence comparatively early, as 

 'the seed culms become hard and dry, and are not relished or 

 .-readily eaten by stock. 



Italian Rye Grass maybe grown successfully on a wide range 

 of soils, but gives the heaviest return upon those that arc stiff 

 and rich. It is a larger and more robust plant than Perennial 

 Rye grass, and affords an earlier bite or cutting in the spring ; 

 it is also superior in nutritive value. It should be used ex- 

 clusively as a rotation crop, for which purpose, when grown on 

 rich, moist soils and irrigated with liquid manure, it is not sur- 

 passed in quantity or quality by any other forage crop. 



The impurities found in seeds of both these varieties of Rye 

 -Grass are Yorkshire Fog, Soft Brome Grass, Rye-seeded Brome, 

 Upright Crowfoot, Sheep Sorrel, Forget-me-not, Ox-eye Daisy, 

 Rib Grass, and Hair Grass. The average purity of the samples 

 .of Italian Rye Grass tested at Aynsome last season was 93*4, 

 and of Perennial Rye Grass 96*5 per cent. ; but the purity of 

 good commercial seed should be, it is stated, at least 96 or 98 

 per cent. The imported seed of Italian Rye Grass is, as a rule, 

 very impure, but the standard indicated can be maintained by 

 careful cleaning. The seeds of Perennial Rye Grass are largely, 

 if not entirely, grown in the South of Scotland and the North 

 of Ireland, and before cleaning usually contain an undesirable 

 amount of various weed seeds. 



The average germination of the samples of Italian Rye Grass 

 tested at the station was 88*5, but in samples of the highest 



* Bulletin of the Aynsome Seed-Testing Laboratory. 



