1250 
MESSRS. J. B. LAWES, J. H. GILBERT, ARD M. T. MASTERS, 
Lolium perenne. 
The culms of this grass are more or less tufted, 1 to 2 feet high, decumbent, and 
subterranean at the base, then ascending, rooting at the nodes, and giving off leafy 
stolons. The roots are much branched, fibrous, penetrate to a considerable depth, and 
give off a dense network of root-fibrils near the surface. The root-hairs are stoutish, 
sometimes short, numerous; at other times very fine and intricate. 
This grass shoots early, flowers in May and June, and again in the autumn; and it 
is observed to grow well after trampling down or cutting, and to vary greatly in 
character according to external conditions. It is most favoured by a moist, warm 
season. Mr. W hit w orth is recorded by Sinclair to have collected as many as 60 
varieties. It does not produce much aftermath. 
The endowments specially favourable to it are its hardiness, creeping offshoots, 
growth after cutting, &c. 
Table L. —Relative predominance of Lolium perenne. 
Lolium ptrenne 
Was First, Second, or Third, 
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. 
r 3 . . . 
6-37 
4-1 . . 
9-28 
5-24 
4-2 . . 
6-47 
8 , . . 
. „ 
, . 
5-92 
7-63 
Plots < 
14 . . . 
3 
3 
13-80 
9-36 
5‘55 
15 . . . 
7-49 
7-32 
16 . . . 
5-85 
6-23 
17 . . . 
. . 
5-09 
, , 
, 
6*68 
^18 . . . 
— 
— 
5-15 
6-45 
1 
r First . . 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Total < 
Second 
0 
0 
0 
0 
[ 8 
4 
1 
4 
1 
_ Third . . 
1 
1 
0 
0 
J 
The table shows that this grass was neither first nor second on any plot in either of 
the separation-years; but it was third in the first two separation-years, 1862 and 1867, 
on plot 14, with the larger amount of nitrate of soda and the mixed mineral manure. 
It yielded more than 5 per cent, of the produce on eight plots in 1862, on four in 
1867, on one only in 1872, but again on four in 1877. It was, nevertheless, found in 
greater or less quantity in the samples from every plot in each separation-year, 
excepting plot 11—I in 1872, and 11-2 in 1877 ; these being the two plots most 
highly manured with ammonia-salts, in conjunction with mixed mineral manure. It 
will be observed that it yielded 5 per cent, and over to the produce on plot 3 
