63 
It is very common on grass-land whether dry or wet, in woods, on hills, heaths, etc. 
On the Bernese Alps it attains an altitude of 6,250 ft. (Rothenbach), and on the Grisons 7850 ft. 
(Briigger). In the Caucasus it occurs between, the limits of 5,900—9,200 ft. In the Lofodden Isles 
it ascends to 2,000 feet. 
This plant adapts itself to the most varied conditions of climate and season, and is 
little affected either by cold, moisture, or drought. Roth properly regards it as one of the 
shade-loving grasses, as it grows naturally, often in abundance, under the shade of other 
orasses, and in woods. It occurs on all kinds of grass-land, whether the soil is dry and 
light, or wet and heavy, and is to be met with even on moorland. It succeeds best on 
moist sands and loams; still, it is only advisable to sow Sweet-scented vernal on such soils, 
when they are too dry to allow the successful cultivation of better grasses. 
According to the analyses of Arendt, Way and Ogston, 1000 Ibs. of hay remove from the soil : 
Nitrogen’ . “= . . 4iCbe ths: Magnesia . . . . 4.2 Ibs. 
Phosphoric Acid. . 48 ,, ime Se te) EB 
Potasir < + 88 's8. 0 Ses: ATCA pel tee te age eek 
mie sa te ye Me Sulphuric Acid . . 0.2 ,, 
According to the Zurich analysis, the amount of Nitrogen during flowering is 1.083 °/o. 
This grass shows no preference for any kind of manure. In highly manured land it 
disappears and makes room for grasses and other plants of a more productive kind. 
Growth, Yield, Nutritive value. Sweet-scented vernal forms compact tufts of grass, and 
produces culms in such abundance that mowing is somewhat difficult. 
After sowing, it developes more rapidly than other fodder-plants, so that even in the 
first year the yield is good. In spring, it is the earliest grass: on lands well exposed to 
the sun, the culms appear in March, flowering takes place in April, and by May the seed 
is ripe. Before hay-time, Sweet-scented vernal grass has already shed and sown its seed ; 
in this way, by self-sowing, it spreads and multiplies extensively. By hay-time, the culms 
are as hard as straw, and the nutritive value, accordingly, low. This is a great disadvan- 
tage, and becomes more pronounced if the spring is early, or hay-time late. Its advantages 
are these: — it is very early, and so can thrive on soils of the driest types, as it has the 
spring moisture at its disposal; after each cutting, it rapidly sends up new shoots, and 
continues growing till autumn, but its produce then is not so luxuriant as at first. 
According to Nickles, 100 lbs. of grass, cut when in flower, give 28 lbs. of hay, According to 
Sinclair a brown, sandy loam, with manure, gives the following yield per acre: — 
Green. Dry. 
PeCACY Cal ee a PR 1G. ESS ae. — 
Oucfloweriig” © % oe 2 x 4 +) 6 FSRE My 2,104 Ibs, 
At the time the seed is rip , | SiG &. 1,838 ,, 
Atfermaty, . S22 SPAS 2 ce?) OGL 5, — 
The yield is thus comparatively poor. The nutritive value is also low as is shown 
by the following analyses. The grass analysed was cut when in flower on the 16 May, 
and the proportion of water was reckoned as 14 °/o. 
Ash ‘ : , Ag 
Albumin (N < 6.25). ‘ DY ee A 
Fibre, ‘ . 29.4 o/o 
Non-nitrogenous extractives. . 43.0 Yo 
Fat ’ b= 1.89915 
(Non-albuminoid nitrogen 0.158 °/o of the dry matter). 
Habitat. 
Limits of 
altitude. 
Climate 
and Soil. 
Substances 
removed from 
the soil. 
Manure. 
Growth. 
Development. 
Yield. 
Nutritive 
value. 
