ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OE PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1271 
examples, not in groups. It seeds freely, and if the seedlings spring up upon any 
vacant patches, they speedily avail themselves of the space to the exclusion of other 
species. 
Owing to the plant generally occurring as isolated specimens it was frequently 
noted as existing on the plots although it was not included in the samples. It is 
obvious that, from the character of the plant, there must be some uncertainty as to 
the amount coming into the sample, being a true representation of its proportion in 
the total herbage of the plot. From the notes taken on the ground it would appear 
probable that there was a greater number of plants on some of the plots, where there 
was comparatively little general luxuriance, but it was only where there was liberal 
nitrogenous and mineral manuring, and specially where the nitrogen was applied as 
ammonia-salts, that isolated individuals acquired great vigour, and ripened seed more 
freely than elsewhere; though, as it would seem, from the effects of competition 
injurious to seedlings in general, the plant continues to show itself in isolated speci¬ 
mens. Under the manurial conditions in which the Ileracleum flourishes there is a 
great luxuriance of the grasses, especially of a few very free-growing ones, and the 
question obviously arises—how far its success under these circumstances depends on 
the directly favourable influence of the manure on its own growth, enabling it to 
displace its neighbours, or how far the generally somewhat tufted and patchy 
character of the grasses in such cases affords space for its development ? 
Anthriscus sylvestris. 
This is a common hedge-row biennial, with a thick, fleshy tap-root, descending some 
distance into the soil; it has erect stems, finely cut foliage, sometimes bright green, at 
other times claret-red, even in the case of two plants growing close together. It is a 
plant not common in pastures unless where overshadowed by trees. 
It forms a constituent of but few of the samples, and indeed is observed on very few 
of the plots. It is absent, or nearly so, from the unmanured, the purely mineral 
manured, and the ammonia plots. The only conditions under which it has acquired 
any real prominence are those where the larger amount of nitrate of soda in con¬ 
junction with the mixed mineral manure is employed. Here, owing to the abundance 
of seed produced, it increased from 1*52 per cent, in the second, to 3'86 in the third, 
and to 4'64 per cent, in the fourth separation-years respectively. In the season of 
1880 it was a very prominent plant on the same plot. Taking the whole of the plots, 
and the four separation-years, there is only one other instance in which the amount 
found in the sample reached 0‘1 per cent., namely, in that from a plot adjoining the 
one above referred to. 
Daucus Carota .'—The Wild Carrot was found only in the sample from one plot, 
where its appearance was probably accidental. 
7 z 2 
