ON THE MIXED HERBAGE OE PERMANENT MEADOW. 
1299 
whatever changes have occurred on these two plots have been the results of natural, 
not artificially induced, conditions. 
Unfortunately, we have but little evidence as to the changes that occurred during 
those first seven years. As already alluded to, the first attempts at really quantitative 
botanical separation were made in the third year of the experiments (1858), but 
neither were the samples taken with so much care, nor were the botanical separations 
conducted with as much knowledge and experience, then as subsequently; perhaps, 
therefore, it will be sufficient to remark in regard to the results of the preliminary 
separations, that they showed Lolium perenne to be then the most prominent grass on 
the unmanured plot 3 ; Holcus lanatus was second, yielding a very high proportion; 
whilst the only other grasses that were at all prominent were Avena elatior, Anthoxan¬ 
thum odoratum, Agrostis vulgaris, Briza media, and Festuca ovina, which were so 
somewhat in the order in which they are here mentioned. 
Reference to Table LXIIL, p. 1294, will show that the order of prevalence was very 
different from this in each of the four complete separation-years. Lolium perenne is 
shown to be in very much smaller amount than the earlier separation indicated; but 
with, notwithstanding some irregularity, a tendency to still further reduction in 
amount, thus confirming the conclusion of its former greater prominence. Holcus 
lanatus is also in each of the subsequent separations very much less prominent than 
was indicated in 1858, though on both plots it was more prominent in the last of the 
four than in either of the preceding separation-years. Avena elatior, too, has gone 
down very considerably. On the other hand, compared with 1858, Anthoxanthum 
odoratum has, in the subsequent years, maintained its position, or has even increased 
in amount on the unmanured plots. Agrostis vulgaris has done so in a very marked 
degree, as also has Briza media. 
Turning from the comparison of the more recent and more detailed results with the 
initiative ones of 1858, and confining attention to those of the four complete separa¬ 
tion-years alone, the marked features of condition and change may be described as 
follows :— 
The most prominent plant on both plots, and the one which has increased in greatest 
degree (both in percentage and in actual quantity) with the continuous unmanured 
condition, is the hardy, waste-land grass, Festuca ovina. This grass has acquired a 
greater degree of prominence on the poorer plot 3 than on the better-conditioned 
plot 12. 
The plant second in order in prominence, and again on both plots, is the creeping, 
self-asserting, Agrostis vulgaris , and again it has been the more prominent on the 
poorer plot 3. 
Holcus lanatus, though fluctuating considerably in proportion from year to year, is 
also doubtless again taking a prominent place. 
Next in order comes Anthoxanthum odoratum, which, though variable in amount 
from year to year, is rather on the increase than on the decrease, in proportion to its 
