1950-51

RECREATION GROUNDS
6'75
acid. Both are at present costly and the seeds themselves leave
much to be desired in germinative ability and purity, and, as in the
case of hard fescue, they both form tufts.
Most of the other grasses fall a good way short of the bents and
fescues in their ability to produce highest quality turf. They have
advantages, however, where the cost of seed is a deciding factor and
where the oesthetic aspect is of less importance. Their use i:;
primarily for sports grounds.
Perennial rye-grass
(Lolium perenne),
though primarily a pastuik"
grass, has a valuable point in its ability to germinate quickly and to
give a ground cover in relatively short time. The colour of rye-grass
turf is good ; this is due to the characteristic of the leaf in being a
good, dark, glossy green. With soiree of the dwarfer types where the
leaf blade is not excessively broad the turf is reasonably dense. More-
over, very clean seed, having good powers of germination, is usually
available. A serious disadvantage is its lack of ability to last
W.-
definitely when subject to close, intensive cutting as on putting;
greens, for under such circumstances, the ground cover, which is
never very close, quickly decreases, leading to the invasion of local
weeds.
Football pitches and sports grounds can usually be sown satis-
factorily with a mixture containing a high percentage of rye-grass ;
the mowing factor does not enter here so much and also because
that desirable fibre " mat " required to give resiliency in turf for
golf, and even for racing, is not so necessary in these cases. A good
deal is planted along the verges of newly-constructed roads.
Many types of rye-grass are now available and find their way into
the cheaper mixtures. Seed houses introduce their own selections
generally for pasture work, but dwarf types more suitable for sports
turf are on the market also. Kentish indigenous is a type which
has
been raised now for some years, generally along with seed of wild
white clover, and " once-grown " seed is that taken from crops
sown with Kentish " Mother " seed, usually in other districts
" Short seeded " rye-grass seed, sieved out in the cleaning process,
has a higher bushel weight and gives more seeds per pound than
other sorts in commerce. The best known improved type raised in
this country is the Welsh Plant Breeding Station strain, " S z3."
As a general utilitarian species for making turf not of the first
quality, Crested dog's-tail
(Cynosurus cristatits)
has much to com-
mend it. It will thrive equally well on light dry soils as on those
of a heavier class in wetter districts. Because its leaf blades tend
to lie flat on the surface they give a ground cover not usually looked
for in a broad-bladed grass ; the colour is always a deep fresh green,
even when other species die off naturally in the winter season. Seed
is supplied from N. Ireland and New Zealand, and occasionally Kent,
with a high purity figure and good germination.
Rough-stalked meadow-grass
(Poa trivialis)
generally gruwN
fairly well, provided a fair proportion of other grasses are sown
with it to cover up the runners which it makes. Being susceptible
to drought, this grass, which frequently changes to a marked red
colour in a hot summer, can only be
sown on soils
with a sufficient