1905.] Formation of Permanent Pastures. 397 



that in no case did those pastures which were designed to con- 

 tain 30 per cent, of clever show anything like this quantity in 

 the fifth season. When we come to grasses, a similar lack of 

 correspondence between seeds-mixture, hay crop, and pasture 

 may be remarked. It is true that in the case of Mixture II. 

 the proportions of rye-grass and timothy are not far wrong 

 three times out of four, but if we consider the remaining 

 figures we must be convinced that this correspondence is a 

 mere chance. Where rye grass forms 40 per cent, of the 

 mixture, it has formed 44 per cent, of the hay at Saxmund- 

 ham, where it has had the clovers to battle with, but 90 per 

 cent, at Abbotsley, where dry weather sapped the vigour of its 

 rival. And again, where we sowed but 10 per cent, in the 

 mixture, 82 per cent, appeared in the Abbotsley hay. If we 

 turn to the figures for cocksfoot, we find a mere trace of this 

 grass in the hay on those plots where it has been brought into 

 competition with rye-grass. On the other hand, 10 per cent, in 

 the seeds-mixture without rye-grass gives a hay crop containing 

 24 per cent, of cocksfoot. 



Instead of stating the percentage of the ground to be allotted 

 to each species, as Stebler does, an endeavour has been made in 

 some cases to trace a relationship between the number of seeds 

 sown and the hay crop. In Table II. are given some figures 

 bearing on this relationship which have been taken from a 

 report by Mr. R. H. BifTen* on the laying down of temporary 

 pastures on two light soils in the Eastern Counties. The 

 columns show (1) the weight of seed sown ; (2) the percentage 

 of the total number of growing seeds formed by each species ; 

 (3 to 6) the percentage composition of the hay crops on a very 

 light sandy soil with chalky subsoil at Stanhoe in four succes- 

 sive seasons ; and (7 to 9) the hay crop on a light sandy soil on 

 a sandy subsoil at Saxlingham in three seasons. On the 

 Norfolk soils referred to in the following table, we see that the 

 clover, which formed 1 1 per cent, by number of the plants sown, 

 or which, according to Stebler's method of reckoning, were 

 enough to cover about 26 per cent, of the surface, have in one 

 case formed 25 percent, and in the other 50 per cent, of the first 

 hay crop. Perennial rye-grass, which formed about 30 per cent 



* Third Annual Report of Cambridge University Department of Agriculture. 



