SELECTION OF GRASSES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 267, 17 May 1889, Page 3

SELECTION OF GRASSES.

Button's Permanent Pastures. . (Continued)

Lolium italicum (Italian Eye Gra»»). I wish to preclude the possibility of a misunderstanding by saying at once that this grass is under consideration here in its proper connect ioi with alternate bus* bandry. In a perrannent pasture it is distinctly harmfuli and the eeed should never be included in a prescription for that purpose. Italian Rye Grass will grow in almost any soil, but is least satisfactory on poor dry land, unless it can be freely assisted with liquid manure*. This grass flourishes in warmth and moisture, and in rich damp soils the growth is ci tremely rapidv It i* so tLvtch preferred by rtock, that when a two years J«y which contains it i* fed off, the ca_ttle will oot allow a single flower stalk to ripen. It promoter a.great flow of milk, and improves the. fl&Toor of butter and cheese. The cows frora whose nulk the celebrated Parmesan cheese is made aresaid to be fed entirely oo Italian^ Rye Grass. It supplies a larger qusntityof keep in a cold winteror io a. dry summer than can be obtained from an. equal wea of any other grass. No wonder, therefore, that with such remarkable qualities it Should bate been tried for permanent pastures, although experience soon proved it to be utterly unfit for the purpose, It is so gros« a feeder as ac aally to choke and smother the Poas and finer Fescues, instead of nursing and sheltering them from scorching heat and severe frost as Perennial Bye Grass does« And when it* own ephemeral course is run; it leaves (he land destitute both of p'apts and nourishment. V*la. able as it is for alternate husbandry in the compauy of other stronv. growing grasses, such aa Cocksfoot, Perennial Bye Grass and Timothy, my father has always objected to it» u«e in permanent paftuiee, even during the years when the contrary custom prevailed, and he had to stand alone. His practice Is now admitted to be sound, and I cannot conceive of any circum»tanoe« which would warrant a departure from it. Italian Rye Qr*ea is »cry commonly sown with Bread Clover, and a'so in composite mixtures for alternate husbandry. But (lie most profitable way Of growing i' is alone, because tho crop oan then he cut before am of the stalks become bard and lute their nutiitious _ qualities. The aeet) may b© eowa at any time from Spring to Autumn. There i« another rearon why Italian Rye grass sbou'.d rot be allowed to grow old. It is so extremely succulent that in Warm thundery weather there is a risk of the roots beginning to rot.

me for a moment. I '" Certainly," I replied/ looking ' straight into his sneaking counten- J ance, and coming to a standstill. ! i% I've got a sight on my iniudj . mister," he said, hesitatingly ; " but ; it ain't murder, nor yet poaching." he added with a grim smiie. I "I don't think you bad enough ( for the former, Jonas, though 1 j know that you are quite capable of the latter. What is it you wished to con ess ?" I asked. " 'Tis about this robbery, mister," he answered ; ' and I think that its time that I ought to sppak out like a ' man Now, maybe like the rest on 'em, you've got your suspicions, and so 'aye I. You goes with the main on r om, and thinks as Miss Leinaistre is the thief ; but there you're out of it, if I may be allowed to say so. I don't say as I'm a born detective, but anyhow, I've got a bit of puttin' this and that together like, if you understands my meanin', mister ; i and wot I say is this— everybody's ' on 'he wrong track. Now, ten or twelve days ago I was wa kin' across Mabbett's big- meadow, and a tall swell fel er was a cornin' up the lane, i Says he : ' D'ye want to earn a bit ?' Says I, ' Yes, if it ain't 'arcl work.' 1 Oh, no,' says he, ' not at all, but all as I wants is secrecy.' ' Very good,' says I; ' so long as there's no danger attached to the job.' ' Devil a b.t,' he says, and he gives me the first half-sovereign as I've seen since harvestin'. 'There,' he says, 'puti that in your pocket, and don't say a word to nobody, and then take this I 'ere letter to tho young lady up at I the 'All ; but dou't let nobody see i you give it to her ; and meet me here j tomorrow night and I'll give yer another half thick 'un.' ' Thinkin' myself iv luck's way, I did wot he told me to the letter, and sure enough he gives nic the other half sovereign. 'Good again,' says I, goes down to tho Hindlip to spend some of it at • the Bird in hand. Next night I was lyin' down in Home Wood, about nine o'clock, agettin' over a diunk, and who should I see acomin' along the woodside, but this swell in comp'ny w ith Miss Leinaistre. ' Hullo !' thinks I, l a "bit o' sly court'V, fh ?' So I keeps quiet, aiid : oie's wot I heeied; 'em say. The gent, he says, • Then you refuse ?' and she says, ' Yes ; once and for all.' ' Theu damu ycu,' he answers, and he puts up his fist close to her pretty face. Now, I had a lass onre myself, mister, and I can't abide to see a \vi man knocked about ; so I junips up and says, "Foul!' c Wo '.' he says, 'you here; you snenldrg- b?ggnr !' 'Ye 3,' I says, j 1 but quite by accident/ 'Youfol-i lowed us,' lie sa\-s. 'No, not J,' I answers. Hesaidnom re, butmade off, walldii' as fast as he could. Then t! c young- Jady thanked me, i and give me five slrilliu's not to, mention it to a -sou 1 , which I 'aven't | done until now " \ 1 But what has this t . do with the robbery ?" I asked. : . " I'm coming to that { mister,"; he continued. " Well, thinks I, anyway that gent 'aint a fair and square r un, or he wonkhVt a ? spoken to a female like that, ? Wot'shis' game ? j thinks I. so I kep' my eye on him, and found out as he'd come to see the parson who was *tayin at the Blue Lion f r the " fishin' in the mere. Now, parsons, dont m sf in general sociate along with blokes as knocks women about. Wats flu 1 meanin' o' this? He on y s'oppnl one day, but as ho Ytl t -.o luggag.-. he 'adnt come fa. ' -v.\v. : it's just this. That bloke "knows something about the robbery, if tlw pa 1 son don't in the bargain. r " Impossible !" I exclaim«'('. "Very likely, I'm thinkin/' s:t:d ' Jonas knowingly. ' • Tis my belief , that this bloke ad got" some 'old upon i the young lady — wot, I can't say. but he wanted her to steal the thingsfor 'im." ; ; . j.* " And she refused, and being no' longer able to control her feelings, she ran away." I said ha 1 aloud." "That's ity mister," remarked' Jonas. " She is innocent : I am sure of it !" I cried, Jraptiurously. "P'raps not altogether; because if she knew he was agoin' to break into the place, shfr was a 'cessory to the job," suggested Jonas. " •' " How dare you suspect her, mau ?" I said, fiercely. "You will come with nietri the police to-mor-row." Jonas made a wry face. "By rights, mister, I oughtn't to 'a been in the wood. They won't say nothink about that, will they ?" he asked, timorously. "No man, no," I said, too occupied with m v own thoughts to heed what he saiil. 1 walked quiclly to the Hall and searched for a clerical directory. I found no clergyman of the name of Armsleigh. Slowly light began to dawn. The stranger ■we had passed in Home Wood was a burglar. But what had Maud to do with him ? If she was innocentwhy had she fled ? Could the supposed clergyman have been an accomplice? I telegraphed to Scot-land-yard, and before midnight a detective arrived. "Do I understand that you have made a fresh d'scovery with regard to th's case ?" he asked. "I think I have," I replied; oni I told him Jonas Lynch's story, calling the fellow into the library to corroborate my statements. (To be oontinued.) i