1905.] Experiments on Seeding of Pastures. 229 



Average Yield of Hay for First Year. — It has often been stated 

 that without large excess of rye-grass, it is impossible to get a 

 full crop of hay for the first year. The above Table, however, 

 shows that taking the average of ten farms, the normal mixtures 

 (Nos. 3 and 4) surpass for hay production the rye-grass mixtures 

 (Nos. 1 and 2), and are approximately equal to the other rye- 

 grass mixture (No. 5). There is also the significant fact that 

 the thin sown normal mixture (No. 4) surpasses the thick sown 

 normal mixture (No. 3), so far as hay production is concerned. 

 Professor M'Alpine observes that this means that we may reduce 

 the quantity of rye-grasses and still obtain a good crop of hay. 

 In mixture No. 4, which yielded, on the average, the largest 

 hay crop, there were only 4^ lb. of Italian and 12 lb. of perennial 

 rye-grass. 



Freedom of the Pasture Jrom Weeds. — The experiments were 

 inspected in the autumns of 1902 and 1904. These inspections 

 showed that the rye-grass mixtures (Nos. 1 and 2) surpassed all 

 the other plots for foulness. The normal mixtures were not so 

 efficient in checking weeds as the special Timothy and cock's- 

 foot mixtures (Nos. 8 and 9), which were the best of all in 

 this respect. 



Mixtures that Produced the Best Pasture. — The rye-grass 

 mixtures (Nos. 1 and 2) turned out pastures incomparably 

 inferior to that of some of the other mixtures, lacking the 

 green appearance, the attractiveness to stock, and that body 

 which signifies good pasture capable of maintaining the greatest 

 number of animals. Among the plots without rye-grass, the com- 

 plex mixture (No. 14) usually took a high place for pasture. On 

 the average, the best pasture mixtures were : — Normal mixtures 1 

 (Nos. 3, 4, and 13); Special mixtures, timothy and cock's-foot 

 (Nos. 8 and 9), and mixtures without rye-grass (No. 14). 



Improvement of the Land. — The rye-grass mixtures tended to 

 deteriorate the land under them, for two main reasons : (1) the 

 perennial favoured the growth of Yorkshire fog, and (2) the 

 Italian checked the growth of red clover. The normal mixtures 

 (Nos. 3 and 4) improved the land, for in them the weeds were 

 checked and the clover specially favoured ; this was also the case 

 with No. 9. 



Summary. — Professor M'Alpine concludes his Report with 



