392 
The Herbage of Pastures. 
other grass in so many. Further, that, on the average, it made 
up 21 per cent., or more than one-fifth, of the total herbage, 
whilst it made 50 per cent, more herbage than the species of 
grass next to it in average abundance. So with white clover : 
the figures of Mr. Carruthers show that it occurred in more 
of the pastures than all the other leguminous species recorded, 
and formed considerably more than twice as much herbage as 
the other leguminous species collectively. Such a result, 
obtained by methods so different from my own, is an interesting 
corroboration of the conclusions which I arrived at in 1888, and 
confirmed in 1889. Another noteworthy similarity is afforded 
by the case of Festuca pratensis. I found this species, as my 
Tables show, infrequent in occurrence and insignificant in 
quantity. In 14 pastures, Mr. Carruthers only found it twice, 
and then but to the extent of £ per cent, each time. 
That my actual percentages of rye-grass are generally higher 
than those of Mr. Carruthers I attribute to the circumstance 
that, by close-cropping the turf with sheep-shears, I secured the 
rich undergrowth which is so characteristic of the free-tillering 
Lolium perenne. For the same reason I got a higher proportion 
of the close-lying Trifolium repens. I have calculated out for 
the whole series of 80 turfs which I examined the percentage 
of Lolium perenne in the total herbage, and I find that the 
48 English turfs yielded an average of 42 per cent, of rye- 
grass, 6 Welsh turfs gave an average of 35 per cent., 14 Irish 
turfs 24 per cent., and 12 Scotch turfs 11 per cent. 
In closing the record of this investigation, there remains to 
me the pleasant duty of expressing my thanks to the gentlemen 
who have sent me specimens of their pastures, and who have so 
obligingly answered the many inquiries with which I have 
found it necessary to trouble them. 
W. Fream. 
