ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1241 
Poa pratensis. 
This grass, in addition to its tufted stems, has numerous underground stolons, which 
form new plants at their extremities. The roots, which are given off from the short 
underground stems as well as from the stolons, are fibrous, intricately branched, not 
penetrating very deeply, but forming a dense mat beneath the surface. The culms 
are 1 to 4 feet in height, erect, and smooth. The leaves are broadish. It begins to 
grow early in spring, which is advantageous on economic grounds, and it grows also 
rapidly after cutting. It flowers in June. It is found usually on rich, somewhat 
damp or shaded soil, but it is by no means confined to localities of this description. 
This grass possesses advantages in its hardihood, free growth, its development of 
stolons, its dense root growth, its power of growing early, and again after cutting, &c. 
It is stated, however, to be particularly liable to the attacks of a fungus (“rust” or 
Puccinia). 
Table XLV. records the relative degree of predominance of this species. 
Table XLY.— Relative predominance of Poa pratensis. 
Poa pratensis 
Was First, Second, or Tiiird, Yielded 5 per cent, and over, 
among the total Grasses, as under. to the total Mixed Herbage, as under. 
1862. 
1867. 
1872. 
1877. 
1862. 
1867. 
1872. 
1877. 
f 1 . . . 
3 
6-56 
7-41 
4-2 . . 
« , 
; - 
3 
m , 
. , 
5-11 
9 . . . 
3 
3 
1 
2 
10-68 
13-02 
22-67 
18-03 
Plots <! 
10 . , . 
. , 
1 
2 
. r. 
, , 
14-81 
19-62 
6-48 
11-1 . . 
, , 
, 
, , 
, , 
9*43 
12-86 
10-40 
# , 
11-2 . . 
. , 
3 
, m 
m , 
5-12 
10-38 
12-43 
Lib . . . 
3 
3 
10-26 
11-45 v 
10-09 
1 
r First . . 
0 
1 
i 
0 
1 
Total < 
Second 
0 
0 
i 
1 
1 } 3 
6 
7 
3 
1 
Third . . 
1 
3 
3 
0 
On only two occasions did Poa prate'll sis take the first place among grasses, on one 
plot in 1867, and on one in 1872, both manured with ammonia-salts and mineral 
manure. On each of the same two plots it was also once second. It came third 
rather more frequently, but in each case where ammonia-salts were applied in conjunc¬ 
tion with mineral manure. 
It was again only on the ammonia plots that it exceeded 5 per cent, of the total 
produce, and maintained its position in that respect; and it did so the most markedly 
where the ammonia-salts were used in the smaller quantity; other free-growing 
