426 
Tlie Herbage of Old Grass Lands. 
i 
100 
of these did not exceed half of one per cent. It may be said 
that practically the herbage is all grass. 
No. 5. — A turf sent by Mr. "W. Hancock, of Wiveliscombe, 
Somerset, who describes it as " what we consider a fair sample 
of one of our best pasture fields." The soil of the specimen 
was a bright red loam, and was cut from a dry pasture on the 
side of a valley. The field faces south, and it has been mown 
every year excepting the last three years. It is a very good field 
for sheep and cattle, but is kept chiefly for the latter. It is about 
a mile west of Wiveliscombe, and is rather over 300 feet above 
sea-level. The herbage was cut on July 16, and gave the 
following percentage results : — 
Gramineous herbage 70) 
LegTiminous herbage . . . », , . . 1 ■ 100 
Miscellaneous herbage , < . . . •29.' 
The gi'asses, when separated, were found to be present in the 
following proportions : — 
Lolium perenne 82 \ 
AgTostis sp , . ,10 
Holcus lanatus , 5[_ 
Anthoxanthum odoratum") 
Cynosurus cristatus >,,,.> 3 
Poa trivialis J 
The leguminous herbage was practically Trifolium repens, and 
the miscellaneous herbage was almost entirely made up of 
Leontodon sp. 
No. 6. — A turf sent by Pi'ofessor J. P. Sheldon, of Sheen, 
Ashbourne, who writes that it was dug in the parish of Sheen, 
North Staffordshire, from a permanent grass field that has not 
been under the plough for a centuiy, if ever. During the last 
twenty years or so it has been pastured ; previously it was 
meadowed, pretty regularly, for a long period. In a favourable 
season, and under good management as to manuring, it will cut 
about two tons of hay to the acre. Five acres of such land will 
fatten four shorthorn barreners, between the middle of May and 
the beginning or middle of August, in a fairly good season ; 
they will afterwards fatten, say, a dozen or fifteen wether sheep. 
The soil is a deep loam, not needing artificial draining ; height 
above sea-level about 700 feet. The soil of the specimen sent 
had the appearance of a very friable dark-grey loam. The 
herbage was of a very mixed character ; it was cut on July 24, 
and yielded : — 
Gramineous herbage 32"] 
Leguminous herbage ....... 1 >100 
Miscellaneous herbage ,. 67 J 
