362 
The Herbage of Pastures. 
each from Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Dumfriesshire, Morayshire, 
and Eoxburghshire — 8 counties in all. 
My notebook records (1) the general appearance of each plot 
from time to time ; (2) the name of every species of plant 
observed growing upon each plot ; (3) the total weight in grams 
of the cut herbage from each turf ; (4) the actual weight, when 
it exceeds one gram, of each species of plant separated from the 
herbage of each plot ; (5) the calculated percentage by weight 
of each species when present in a significant proportion. In 
consequence of the large amount of material I had to deal with, 
it was impossible to work down each mass of herbage so that 
the undetermined residue should be less than one gram ; hence 
in all cases there is a variable, but usually small, proportion of 
grassy herbage registered as " undetermined/' All that has 
been attempted in the following pages is to give (a) a short 
account of the origin and history of each specimen ; (b) the 
respective percentages by weight of its gramineous, leguminous, 
and miscellaneous herbage ; (c) a few notes on the leguminous 
and miscellaneous • herbage ; (d) the proportionate weight per 
cent, in which the various species of grasses are contained in 
the gramineous herbage. 
It will be observed that, in describing the several specimens, 
I have in nearly every case stated whether or not roots or root- 
lets were visible on the lower or deep face of the turf. This 
was all the more necessary on account of the circumstance that 
the Consulting Botanist of the Royal Agricultural Society had 
argued " that in cutting away to a depth of nine inches of turf 
the deep-rooted plants which belong to the pasture were injured." 
So far as my observations extended, there was no indication of 
any such injury as that suggested. But I also tested the validity 
of this objection in quite another way. 
Whilst admitting the established fact that certain, plants 
send their roots to a considerable depth, it appeared to me that 
some confusion had been made between root-range, on the one 
hand, and the effects of root-section, on the other. To settle 
the point at issue, I selected the following plants : — 
Alopeeams pratensis, L. — Meadow I Trifolium pratense, L. — Purple or 
foxtail gTass. meadow clover. 
A vena elatior, L. — False oat-gras.s. i Medicago sativa, L. — Lucerne. 
Dactylis glomerata, L. — Rough Taraxacum officinale, Web. — Dande- 
cocksfoot grass. lion. 
Elymus condensatus. — Canadian Achillea Millefolium, L. — Milfoil or 
bunch grass. yarrow. 
Festuca pratensis, Huds. — Meadow Plantago lanceolata, L. — Ribwort or 
fescue grass. plantain. 
Phleum pratense, L. — Timothy grass. ] 
