Laying Down Land to Permanent Grass.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1819, 12 April 1886, Page 3

Laying Down Land to Permanent Grass.

♦ - I In tho Journal of the Boyal Agticultura | Society u{ England (second settee) is a paper ■ on •' Laying Down Land to Permanent Grass,” by C. De Liuue Fauuce de Lauuel ill? wider says .—I have been requested to inuicale me course wuieh, in accordance with my eipeiieuce, ought to bo adopted to insure j wuh certainty and rapidity the formation of peituai.ent pastures. ! Although 1 have, during the last nine . yeais, bestowed much attention on the forma- 1 lion ot permanent pastures, I should have ' hesitated to undertake the task of attempting i to enlighten others, had 1 not been assured ] by many very competent advisers that a i promulgation of the results of my experience I wou*d bo gieatly fur the public advantage ; i the more so, as ou many essential points my views differ materially from those of moat wniers on the same subject. in tbe limited space of this article, I intend to confine myselt to that which I deem the most important; viz., the kinds of seed suitable to be laid down. Unfortunately for owners and occupiers of land, tbe grossest ignorance prevails about grasses. To many landowners and farmers almost every herb that is green is considered to be grass ; bento the ordinary circumspection used in purchasing gramcrop seeds has net been exercised in the case of grass seeds. It is generally, I might almost say iuvari- , abiy, alleged, and truly so, that newly formed pastures have been found to aduiiorate gieatly after the tirst two or three years. 1 will explain my view of the reason of deterioration, and point out the remedy; and, in so doing, conect what 1 conceive to be some erroneous impressions that are generally entertained respecting grasses. The terms " coarser grasses ” and “liner grasses,” which are so frequently used, have led to serious mischief in the formation of new pastures. The coarser are popularly believed to be the inferior, and the finer grasses the better eort; but in reality the the four beet grasses for pasture ate all large grasses, and come, popularly speaking, under the head ef coarse grass. The number of grasses, indigenous to England, is very considerable ; but it is sufficient for all puiposes of practical utility to indicate those that are the mose detri mental to all pastures, whether new or old there are perennial, biennial, and annual grasses ; the two latter ought, in my opinion, under all circumstances, to be carefully excluded when a permanent pasture is desired. Tho use of short lived grasses and of biennial clovers, coupled with an iusuffiency of proper seed, is the main cause of the deterioration of new pastures after tho first two or three years. The four coarse grasses, valuable beyond all others for permanent pasture are cocksfoot, (Daciylis glom.nUj, meadow fescue (Festuca pratensisi, and its ally, tall fescue (Festuca elatoir), c itstml or timothy (Phleutu pralcusc), and m-adow fuxlail (.Vlopecurus pratensis). Tio.fe five grasses sli add form the bulk oi an pa-tUfeS ou go >d Soil, either for sheep or collie. The limr or minor grasses arucie.-tea d-.,rtii! (Fyi.osurus cristas us), hard fescue (•.■'•■>:uoi d uiuscu al, rough rnealow grass I (1* .a inviaii-), I’wiia ( igni.-Tie sto onitera), sneeps Jescue (I'esinca civiim), and golden oil grass tAvauu llavesceus) A meadow caii|MS.;i of tne above would be peifeet as i ro-aias grasses, a-sumieg that tho proper proportions nr used ; it Would produce fond fjf stock during nearly every month of the year. The clovers, Which should, however, he u.-ed in a much smaller proportion than the grasses, are po m alien', red clover, cow .r.ies, ai.-lKe, and white or Dutch dovi r. ,'ei ns 'f milfoil or yaimw ( Whole i mi.lef i. n ttin ..ugh; never t . I"- mnitie.l. T'he uo.ivh aie leany ad the pi nits required for a pelinauciit pasiuie of the li o'.si, qualiiv, on first 'he ir n,ei ii:n sods through ut Diitam. On infer.or soils, m soils po. .-e-sing special 1 I,'jlo.s a 'ine ~f the-.e mas-os Woiod not he - i.!, 0 1 •, and a -e ic mu r.-m-t be unde, dims on dr. lui'-, foxtail, lough meadow grar , and fiuliu sh mid be illicit- 1, and a Sill 111 r quo.my oi meadow f, bene used, while a gu at- r pr i| ri'li " i of coi-Ksfunt, cif.-ted uogstait, anil sailo.v siiml 1 he Mlii-tiluted. Inc gi-rsei mo-t petiucious to newly fumed pastures are lir-t and principally rye glass m ah it- varieties, and Yorkshire fog nr toft wonl.y grass (ihdeus la-Eiss). Both these grasses are rai id in growth and make a great show, henc tneir popularity with superficial observers and seed merchants ; they produce an abundance of seed and aie very cheap. Enormous profits aie made by tho sale of them, and, what is wi rse, incalculable loss is entaded upon those who sow them for permanent pasture. My experience is tnat mixtures sold throughout the country for permanent pasture consist principally of rye grass. And as these mixtures are sold at prices varying from fid to 10d per lb, whilst tbe rye grass seeds of which they prineipa y consist, can be purchased from per lb, it requires no great skill to calculate tbe vast profits which must accrue to those who supply them. la relation to the life of the plant, grasses may be divided into two classes, those which flower and seed once only and then die, and those which continue to flower and seed and ; yet live. (To be Continued).