Varieties. 
Name and 
history. 
Agricultural 
value. 
Geographical 
distribution. 
Habitat. 
Limits 
of altitude. 
Climate. 
Liaw UApUUNLS, WE 1 LUE prupor poroutl TO Compound 
grass seeds; but this is a huge mistake. It is enough that 
he provides good seeds ; it is the farmer's business to see 
that his purchases are properly used, and that adequate 
and suitable produce is obtained from them. Incredible 
as it may seem, the mixtures described above are still in 
the field ; they are formulated by lecturers to students of 
agricultural science ; they teem in seed catalogues, and in 
recent agricultural literature as well. In fact, the farmer 
is commonly acquainted with no other kind. 
It is small wonder that the result is failure and disaster, 
and none that so many sensible farmers have come to the 
conclusion that for good grass they must trust to Provi- 
dence; and it were well for them to begin to try and 
realise that Providence is incapable of turning out a tract 
of grass-land at all equal to that which is to be secured by 
the use of a proper artificial combination of seeds. Why 
these absurd impostures are popular is soon disclosed to the 
inquiring mind ; and the reason, if properly understood, 
will suffice to give a fair idea of the whole question. The 
mixtures in point are formulated as pounds of various 
seeds, in a tongue unknown to most of us, however agri- 
cultural we may be. Before any conception can be formed 
either of the real meaning of the mixture or of the result 
to be expected from it, the formula requires to be trans- 
lated and expressed in terms of the corresponding plants, 
so as to show how many of each kind there are (as in Sin- 
clair’s method), or preferably (because simpler and more 
practical) the amount of ground covered by each species. 
This found, the result to be expected from any given com- 
bination is known beforehand : the mixture has a right to 
be regarded as rational and scientific ; indeed the ability 
to predict is the characteristic of all true scientific method. 
In the class of compound here referred to, it is quite im- 
possible to translate the formula in this way, as the ger- 
minating power of the seeds is not given. Only one way 
remains of proving the value, and that is by actual sowing 
in the field, and allowing the mixture to occupy the land 
for an indefinite number of years. The farmer will then 
have experience—bitter, indeed, it may be and the seeds- 
man the money paid for the seeds. Experience gained 
at this expense is worth very little after all; for the 
farmer has no chance of finding in what respects the seeds 
used were defective, as the resulting plants are so inter- 
mingled that it is well nigh impossible to come to any con- 
clusion regarding the proportion of the various species. 
To Mr. James Hunter of Chester, more than to any one 
else in Britain, is due the credit of bringing us back to the 
rational basis laid down at the beginning of this century. 
He saw quite clearly those points in which the fashionable 
mixtures were defective, and set himself to find a remedy. 
Following in the footsteps of Sinclair, he made numerous 
experiments, and reasoned out the number of germinating 
seeds proper for each grass and clover constituent. More 
than that, he paid particular attention to purity and germi- 
nation, in order to have very complete data at command, and 
was thus able to advance greatly the position first assumed 
by Sinclair. It was plain that mixtures formulated on 
‘ such principles could not escape being good ; and _ practical 
‘experience only confirms this view. Hunter’s works on 
. the subject will repay careful study, and must always be 
consulted. bv those. interested in _omch_oanastions ee CR ETS 
‘om 9 to 20 flowers, rarely 3 —5. The upper 
long as the lower pale, usually less than half 
5-ribbed, with a long terminal awn, which may 
(see below, variety muticum). The upper pale 
. stamens, and pistil are identical with those of 
yreaks into pieces (distinction from L. perenne). 
seeds) as in perennial rye-grass. The caryopsis 
‘wit (figs. 6, 7); its length, including the awn, 
win perenne but is longer. 
e awned form; at times, however, varieties with 
nless variety is readily distinguished from peren- 
leaves. Both varieties are of equal value to the 
in Lombardy; thence it spread into the other 
med it Loliwm Italicum. Formerly it was regar- 
s called Lolium perenne aristatum. Burger in 
iks of the grass, which abounds in the irrigated 
given rise to much confusion and error, as the 
ed either by Sinclair (1825) or Schwerz (1837); 
ng of the present century, Fellenberg obtained 
818 André Thouin cultivated it in France, and 
1e obtained his seed from Fellenberg. About 
it became known in England. Wm. Dickinson 
m, it soon became widely known. He obtained 
His success soon became known throughout 
rye-grass is of more importance than in Lom- 
since it surpasses all others in rapidity 
jane yield. Its duration is, however, 
vole year, but in general it lasts 2 years. 
grass is indigenous to: — Spain, France, Ger- 
r and Greece. It is not indigenous to N. America. 
At present it is extensively cultivated through- 
= southern Scandinavia, etc. 
tate. 
In England 
In Ireland, too, it is oflen seen in fields 
s on the margins of ditches, roadsides, etc. 
ht of 5,600 ft. (Bevers), and at Flims ascends 
suppose that this grass cannot withstand 
experience has shown, that our climates 
1s on loose soil; any evil effects can be 
yard manure, in autumn. As with all 
never be omitted. It is true, that this 
ilture, provided that the soil is suitable, 
crops of Italian rye-grass are obtained. 
is deep. 
