Yield of Seed. 
Impurities. 
Adulterations. 
Seed quality. 
Amount to be 
sown. 
Mixtures. 
34 
Cocksfoot seed, obtained on a large scale, has always a higher percentage of purity 
than this. It is not necessary to grow cocksfoot by itself to get pure seed. A mixture 
with various clovers can be used; in this way the amount of fodder is increased and pure 
seed of high quality obtained. However, too much clover should not be used. In Hesse, 
and neighbouring districts, cocksfoot seed is collected in the woods; the quality is not so 
high as that of Dauphiny. Seed-threshing is easy, and can be done by hand or machine. 
Pinkert obtained 528 lbs. per acre, Werner 200—260 lbs. 
The most frequent impurities are : Meadow Fescue, a small proportion of False oat- 
grass, Yellow oat-grass, etc. The presence of these does not lower the value of the seed, 
since they are good and usually dearer than those of cocksfoot itself. Bromes and weeds 
are, of course, bad. The weeds are composed mainly of small seeded Composite (species 
of Crepis, Chrysanthemum, Senecio, Lapsana, Hypocheris, Leontodon, Hieractwm), and 
a few Umbelliferw and Rubiacee. By means of machinery it 1s possible to remove the 
bulk of these injurious and valueless constituents. The following is an analysis of seed 
cleaned by machine: — 
Uncleaned. Cleaned. 
Pave seed os FH i « o As » §6R8 5/6 86.5 °/o 
Meadow Fescue . .. . . + « + 44.2%] Good seeds 10.7 °/o| Good seeds 
Golden Oat-grass and Poas. . . . . 5.9°%/of 86.5 %/o 0.3 of 97.8 %/o 
Ruiserttateorass, Ao aos 2 oo te, OM 0.3 °/o 
Bromest sy + a ta 3 ~ 4.6 Yo 1,1 %/o 
Quaking grass, yellow clovers, cereals etc. 0.9 °/o — 
WARHS Moy esha tere ee oe ee ee | OOS — 
(ifs: br]! seek. oe tO AG O/e 1.1 °/o 
Adulterations are now more rare than formerly. Hard fescue (/’es- 
tuca duriuscula) and Purple Melic grass (Molinia caerulea) have been 
chiefly used. /7Zard fescue is distinguished by the colour, and the roun- 
ded back of the outer pale (the outer pale of cocksfoot is keeled), 
Purple melic (fig. 15) is always awnless; the whole fruit is darker in 
colour, shorter and stouter, especially at the base; the pales gape at 
the apex and do not overlap. 
Seed and amounts to be sown. Cocksfoot has on an average 74.2 °/o 
purity, and 54 °/o germination. Good commercial seed should have 75 °/o 
purity (85 %o of good seeds), and a germinating power of 70 °/o (52.5 °/o 
of pure and germinating seed). 
1 Ib. of pure seed contains on an average 579,500 grains. The me 
weight per bushel varies from 12 to 16 Ibs. ah meee 
: False fruit side-view: — 
On acre of ground requires 35 lbs. of seed containing 52.5 °/o pure a. natural size, 
and germinating seed. The average price is 9d. per lb.; seed for bande X 8 
one acre would therefore cost about 26 shillings. 
From its tufted mode of growth cocksfoot cannot be used alone. It should be mixed 
with plants of a spreading nature, which fill up the gaps between the cocksfoot tufts. 
Perennial rye-grass, Meadow foxtail, and Timothy are specially appropriate. More or less 
clover should also be added, according to the kind of mixture. In laying down permanent 
grassland, Clover-grass, and in alternate husbandry, cocksfoot should always be borne in 
mind. It is best in a ley of 3—6 years. If too large a proportion is used at first, the 
Fig. 15. 
