35 
same drawbacks occur as with a pure sowing, i. e. gaps occur between the tufts, and the 
grass is cushion-like and unequal. The best plan is to use a small proportion at first, in 
order to allow the other grasses to develope: later on, additional cocksfoot may be sown. 
At the beginning, 15 °/o should not be exceeded. | 
Rolling is very advantageous in spring. By this operation, the tufts, which are stan- Rolling and 
ding higher than the other grass, are pressed down, and the whole becomes more uniform. Harrowing. 
In old, rich meadows, where cocksfoot is very prevalent, it is advisable to harrow in spring 
and afterwards to use the roller. 
The two following grasses, which have only been cultivated for purposes of experiment belong to Allied species. 
the same genus: — 1 Tussock grass, 2. Russian Cocksfoot. Tussock grass (Dactylis cespitosa, Forst.) is 
indigenous to the Falkland Islands. Attempts have been made to cultivate it in Europe, but, according 
to Lawson, without satisfactory results. It forms enormous cushions of grass, from which culms, 3 to 
4 feet in height, spring out. Russian Cocksfoot (Dactylis altaica, Besser.) is somewhat similar to the 
common Cocksfoot; it is distinguished mainly by its greater height. 
IV. Meadow Fescue. 
(Festuca elatior, L.) 
(Sub-species pratensis, var. genuina Hackel) 
Explanation 
Fig. A. Entire plant in flower. 
of plate. 
, 4. Spikelet in flower, side-view. 
Flower detached, shewing, 2 lodicules, 3 stamens and the pistil. 
False fruit, dorsal surface. 
False fruit ventral surface; shewing the stalk. 
Caryopsis, dorsal surface, shewing the embryo. 
Caryopsis, ventral surface shewing the hilum, 
Diagram of the spikelet. 
, 8 The ligule, and eared leaf-base. 
9. Transverse section of a leaf blade, shewing the ribs. 
Sh Ser ar He Be 
Meadow fescue is a tufted grass; its lateral branches are intravaginal and grow up vertically Botanical 
alongside the parent stem. At times, branches break through the sheaths which enclose them, be- description. « 
coming extravaginal; these form partial tufts, and give a more spreading grass, as in fig. A, As no 
lengthened stolons are produced, the tuft is always compact throughout. The sheaths of the radical 
leaves are purple and shining at the base: when withered they split up into brown fibres. 
The culms are ascending and smooth, but some times slightly rough beneath the panicle; they 
reach a height of 18—36 inches; the Jeaf-sheaths are smooth, and glabrous ; the blades are convolute in 
the bud, and taper towards the apex; the ribs are distinct on the upper surface ; the margins are rough 
from above downwards (fig. 9). The ligule is very short, reduced to a mere margin. The base of the 
leaf blade is prolonged laterally to form a pair of hook-like ears (fig. 8). The inflorescence is a panicle 
4k—8 inches long; the lowest branches are in pairs and each bears from 1—3 spikelets. (In Tall fescue 
Festuca elatior var. arundinacea, the weaker basal branch bears 5—8 spikelets.) During flowering the 
branches are spread out. Each spikelet usually bears 7 or 8 flowers (the var. arundinacea only 4& or 5); 
the colour is pale green, and the form, lanceolate. Both glumes are short, and about 4/3 as long as the 
whole spikelet. The lower glume is the smaller and one-nerved (figs. 1 and 7); the upper is three-nerved 
(figs. 1, 7). The pales are two; the lower is (figs. 1, 3, 4, 7) 5-nerved with a white scarious margin, 
