ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OF PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1247 
4- 2 (ammonia and superphosphate) Festuca ovina contributed 49'29 per cent, in 1872 
and 55*20 per cent, in 1877 : and on plot 5, with ammonia-salts alone, it gave 46*56 
per cent, in 1872, and 53*31 per cent, in 1877 ; whereas Agrostis vulgaris has in only 
one case exceeded 30 per cent. The table shows that Festuca ovina was neither first, 
second, nor third on either plot 11-1, 11-2, 13 or 14, the four plots of the highest 
luxuriance of gramineous herbage, and especially of the freer-growing species. Agrostis 
vulgaris , however, contributed a much higher proportion of the produce on these plots 
(excepting 14) of high gramineous luxuriance, and maturation also, than did Festuca 
ovina. 
The general result is, that Festuca ovina has gained in prominence on all the 
deficiently or only moderately manured plots; and it has done so the most, other 
things being equal, where, with a sufficiency of nitrogenous manure favouring grami¬ 
neous luxuriance, there has been a deficiency of mineral supply preventing matura¬ 
tion, and consequently limiting the power of competition, of the freer-growing grasses. 
In fact, where the Festuca ovina has yielded the highest percentage of the produce, it 
has been with, low total yield, and with a very large proportion of dark green, leafy, 
immature growth. The Festuca ovina also gains where other plants suffer for want of 
moisture; whilst the Agrostis vulgaris gains (if the other conditions are favourable to 
it) hr the wetter seasons. 
Festuca pratensis. 
The stock of this grass is subterranean, perennial, somewhat creeping, but rarely 
producing offsets. The culms are tufted, 2 to 4 feet high; the leaves flat and broadish. 
The root fibres penetrate more deeply than those of F. ovina , but are not so much 
branched. It begins to grow somewhat early and rapidly, and flowers in June. 
In this country this grass is partial to rich, moist soils, and is said to be an excellent 
pasture grass, much relished by cattle. It varies in stature, form of inflorescence, and 
presence or absence of stolons. F. elatior, sometimes considered a variety of this, has 
more stolons, and a more spreading flower-panicle. 
This species of Festuca. instead of being first, second, or third in prominence on a 
large number of plots, and yielding in some cases half of the entire produce as did 
F. ovina, in only one case was first, and that was on the unmanured plot (12), in the 
first separation-year, 1862; and it was only on that occasion that it yielded more than 
5 per cent, of the produce. On some plots in the first separation year it was absent, 
but on most it occurred in only small quantity; and on almost every plot it has gone 
down to a quite insignificant amount. The only plot on which it persistently gained 
is 15, with nitrate of soda alone up to 1875 inclusive, and the mixed mineral manure, 
including potass, each year since; and even there it only contributed 1*47 per cent, of 
the produce in the fourth separation-year. 
Festuca elatior has only been found in the sample from one plot, and then in very 
insignificant amount. 
7 u 2 
