Orchardrass was grown for five years at three levels of nitrogen fertilization of N_1 (low-N), N_2 (medium-N) and N_3 (high-N). (N_1-basal dressing of 5kg with yearly top dressing of 12.5〜15.0kg/10a ; N_2-double of the N_1 quantities ; N_3-triple of the N_1 quantities.) The dry matter yield and the cover were checked yearly, while the leaf area index, the number of stumps, the number of tillers and the basal area were measured in the final year. The following results were obtained. 1) The highest dry matter yield was achieved at N_3 plot until the second year, while N_2 plot recorded the highest dry matter yield in the third and subsequent years. There was no difference in the five year average yield between N_2 and N_3 plots, both with the yearly average of approx. 1.0ton/10a. N_1 plot showed the lowest yield. N_3 plot was higher in nitrogen content but there was no difference in the crude protein yield between the two plots. 2) In N_3 plot a noticeable drop was observed in the cover from summer to autumn, while there was no significant change in the cover throughout the year at N_1 and N_2 plots. As a result, from summer to autumn N_1 and N_2 plots showed a higher level of cover. 3) As for the interrelationship between the amounts of nitrogen fertilization and the stump structure, it was observed that N_1 plot produced a larger number of small stumps and left less area of bare ground, while N_3 plot was characterized by the opposite trend, leavig wider area of bare ground. The basal coverage of hills were 30% at both N_1 and N_2 plots, while it was 20% at N_3 plot. The number of stumps per square meter was 68, 35 and 22, respectively for N_1, N_2 and N_3 plots. 4) The application of excessively large amounts of nitrogen fertilier results in the decrease in number of hills, and the increase in weight per hill is not enough to compensate for the decrease in weight of hills per square meter. The excessively small amout of nitrogen fertilization will have the opposite effects. In the present experiment the optimum stump density was 35 per square meter and it was considered that this value was rather high as compared to the other experiment.

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Each of two Holstein heifers, whose body weight was about 500kg, was fed by the following mixture in a stockyard at 8p.m., Oct.3, 1966 ; 200g of ladino clover (LC) seeds, 66g of sub clover (SC) seeds, 300g of Italian ryegrass (IRG) seeds, 300g of orchardgrass (0G) seeds, 300g of bahiagrass (BG) seeds, 2kg of concentrate feed, and 1.5kg of beet pulp. Next morning the heifers were moved in a small paddock where some native weeds were grown. They were kept there until 5p.m., Oct.7, being each provided with 2kg of concentrates, 20kg of fresh sorghum, and 5kg of wild grass hay per day. Number, size, and position of feces defecated by them were investigated in the paddock at 8a.m. and at 5p.m.on each day. At each time of investigation 20-30g of feces were collected to count seeds recovered in them. The seeds looking normal in shape were put to the test of their germination under room temperature. Immediately, after grazing in the paddock, feces were sampled and scattered over a Zoysia lawn with three replications. Seedlings emerged from seeds recovered in feces were counted both in the paddock and in the lawn. Recovery of seeds occurred already in feces defecated for 12-21 hrs after feeding (Table 1). This fact suggested that first recovery occurred within a half-day after feeding. Seed recovery reached maximum for 36-60 hrs after feeding, and then decreased. In practical point of view, recovery was finished on the 4th day after feeding. These results were similar to those already reported (1, 2). As to species, recovery was highest in bahiagrass, followed by Italian ryegrass and sub clover, and lowest in orchardgrass and ladino clover (Table 4). By the passage of seeds through digestive tract of dairy cows, germination percentage remarkably decreased in every species. Percentage of rotting seeds distinctly increased in sub clover, orchardgrass and Italian ryegrass, and in the other two species, substitutionally percentage of quiescent or non-germinating seeds reached up to about 80% (Table 5). These relations resulted in low percentage (below 30%) of viable seeds, which consisted of germinating and quiescent seeds, in the former three species, and high percentage (over 90%) of viable seeds in the latter two species. How many such viable seeds recovered from feces could actually grow up to seedlings? This question was not answered by the results of investigation in the paddock where fecec could not be weighed and also seedlings emerged on feces defecated for 36-45 hrs after feeding could not be counted (Table 3), but by the results of investigation in the lawn over which feces were scattered (Figs.1 and 2). On a basis of 10, 000 seeds of each species eaten, number of seedlings emerged from 1kg feces displaced on the lawn was highest in Italian ryegrass, lowest in sub clover, orchardgrass and bahiagrass, and intermediate in ladino clover (Table 6). Such relatively high seedling emergence of the two speciesmight be derived mainly from high recovery of seeds eaten in case of Italian ryegrassand from high viability of seeds recovered in case of ladino clover. Little emergence of bahiagrass was naturally caused by unsuitable low temperature for its germination. Ladino clover only showed an increase of plant number after passing through winter. This might be caused not only by delayed germination of hard seeds but by natural invasion because some ladino clover plants were observed even in the feces-free check plot. In conclusion, Italian ryegrass and ladino clover were considered most effective in dissemination by dairy cows among the five species used.

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Each of two female Japanese Black Cattle, whose body weight was about 400kg, was fed by the following mixture and then by 5kg of hay at 9a.m., July 10, 1969: 200g seeds of each of tall fescue (TF), Festuca arundinacea, perennial ryegrass (PRG), Lolium perenne, dallisgrass (DG), Paspalum dilatatum, and Rhodes grass (RG), Chloris gayana, 150g seeds of blue panic (BP), Panicum antidotale, 100g seeds of each of alfalfa (Af), Medicago sativa and red clover (RC), Trifolium pratense, and 1kg of concentrate feed. One of the cattle, No.a, consumed 99% of the mixture, but the other, No.b, did only 44% (Table 1), because her appetite was lowered due to a sore throat caused mainly by husky glumes of Rhodes grass. The cattle were placed in a metabolism room until 9a.m., July 13. Feces defecated by the catte and dropped down into a dung box were collected to weigh twice a day, 9a.m. and 6p.m. for the period. From feces defecated for each half-day, 50g was sampled to count the number of seeds recovered and, in addition, about 1kg was sampled for testing seedling emergence. The latter feces was displaced on a sward immediately after cutting, making two different plots of feces, i.e., a natural form and a pressed form for imitating tramplings. Seedlings emerged on the surface of feces were counted for 6 weeks after replacement of feces. In order to keep feces wet, watering was frequently carried out, however, resulting in a little effect. First recovery of seeds appeared for 12-24 hrs after feeding with a exception of dallisgrass, few seeds of which was recovered within a half-day (Tables 2 and 3). Recovery reached maximum on the second day after feeding, being as much as 60% of total recovery. It decreased rapidly thereafter and substantially came to an end on the 4th day. With regard to recovery percentage of species, blue panic showed highest, as much as 50%, followed by 25-30% of dallisgrass and 15-20% of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, and the other three species gave the lowest, less than 1%. Portion of total recovery number on days after feeding or on species was little different between the two cattle in spite of a large difference of actual number of seeds recovered. First emergence of seedlings from seeds recovered in feces was observed within the 1st week after displacement of feces on the sward (Tables 4 and 5). Seedlings tended to increase in number with the time until they reached maximum in the 4th week. They decreased thereafter, but even in the 6th week about 8% of total emergence still appeared. Extremely high emergence of seedlings was found on the 2nd day of defecation after feeding (Table 5). Number of seedlings emerged per day declined below 1%, of total on the 4th day. Number of seedlings was a little larger in the natural form of feces than in the pressed one, being against expectation. This result might be caused by relatively severe drought in the pressed feces due to enlargement of surface. Number of seedlings emerged per unit weight or total weight of feces on the basis of 10, 000 seeds was calculated to compare accurately efficiency of emergence among species (Tables 6 and 8). The efficiency shown by the calculated value was highest in blue panic, followed by perennial ryegrass and dallisgrass, and lowest in tall fescue. Red clover, alfalfa and Rhodes grass were intermediate. It was note-worthy that perrennial ryegrass showed the second highest seedling emergence under warm and dry conditions unfavorable for its germination. On the hasis of 90% of seed germination of each species, out of total seeds eaten, 8% in blue panic, 3% in perennial ryegrass, and 1% in dallisgrass were expected to grow up to seedlings by passing through digestive tract and germinating in feces (Table 8). The whole process of seedling emergence could be divided into two steps. The first step was recovery of eaten seeds in feces, and the second step was germination of recovered seeds fo

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Seasonal variations of estrogenic activity of orchard grass, tall fescue, timothy and Italian ryegrass were investigated. Three kinds of grasses except Italian ryegrass were harvested four times. Italian ryegrass was harvested five times. Estrogenic activity of each sample was estimated by uterine weight responses of ovariectomized immature mice. The results obtained are as follows: 1. A slight estrogenic activity was shown in orchardgrass, being almost constant throughout the seasons. The activity of narrow-leaf clone was higher than that of wideleaf clone, suggesting a possibility of varietal difference of the activity. 2. The estrogenic activity of tall fescue and timothy were high in the 1st cutting, and slightly decreased in the 2nd cutting. In the 3rd and 4th cutting, the activity was low. Estimated activity per 100gm dry matter of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th cuttings of tall fescue were equivalent to 0.61μg, 0.52μg, 0.15μg and 0.16μg of DES (diethylstilbestrol) and those of timothy were 0.58μg, 0.40μg, 0.15μg and 0.12μg of DES, respectively. 3. The estrogenic activity of Italian ryegrass was quite low in the 1st cutting, but it increased remarkably in the 2nd cutting and decreased in the 3rd, 4th and 5th cuttings. The 1st cutting of Italian ryegrass at different stages, of maturity had a few activity. The activity of the second year crop remained under a half of the first year crop.

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Effects of nitrogen fertilizer application upon dry matter production were studied in orchardgrass swards. Effects of the low level nitrogen were reported in the previous report and that of the high level, 300, 600 and 800kg per hectare were described in the present paper. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Dry matter yield and net production increased with the increment of nitrogen fertilizer up to 600kg per hectare, but rather decreased at 800kg, level. This fact indicated that the application of more than 600kg of N per hectare was disadvantageous for production. Failure in regrowth after the first cutting was considered to be the cause of decrease in production in case of the application of high level nitrogen. 2. Maximum dry matter yield and net production which were achieved in N 600kg plot were 14.68 ton and 16.90 ton per hectare, respectively. Maximum dry matter yield and net production per a for 226 days from April to November were 6.5 and 7.5g/m^2, respectively. 3. N 600kg plot had higher leaf area index, leaf area duration, relative leaf growth rate, nitrogen content, nitrogen yield and rate of its distribution for yield than N 300kg plot. N 800kg plot had a little more amount of nitrgen content and nitrogen yield than N 600kg plot. Growth of root weight correlated inversely with amount of nitrogen fertilizer.

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Palatability may vary depending on the experimental methods and animals. Therefore we determined the relative palatability of orchardgrass varieties, as demonstrated by the preference of cattle and sheep, in four different experiments that included grazing, cut-feeding, cafeteria, and time-table (improved method of conventional) methods, in 1966 to 1970. Through these experiments, the differences in palatability among orchardgrass varieties were found. In general, the varieties such as Chinook, Pennlate, Scotia and Tammisto were the most acceptable, Frode, Phyllox, Hera, Potomac and Kitamidori were next, and S 345 and S 143 were the least acceptable in almost all experiments. In comparisons among the kinds of animals in cut-feeding trials, significant positive correlations were obtained between Holstein heifers and Corridale mature ewes (r=0.659), and between Holstein heifers and Holstein dry cows (r=0.854). In comparisons among experimental methods, significant positive correlations (r=0.716 in 1968 and r=0.781 in 1969) were obtained between the grazing trial and the cut-feeding trial for Corridale ewes in late September. The same trend was seen between the cafeteria method and the time-table method for Holstein heifers in late August to late September. From the results of these experiments, it is concluded that orchardgrass varieties differ in palatability. The estimation of the relative palatability may be possible by a method such as the cut-feeding trials, that use the cafeteria method and sheep while is easier than grazing trials that use time-table method and cattle.

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It was previously reported that the correlation coefficient of green yield between spaced planting and solid seeding stands in Italian ryegrass strains was not high, and this phenomenon was presumably caused by the difference of response to density among the genotypes. This experiment was carried out to investigate varietal difference of density response, using six varieties at five levels of density. 1. Plant hight increases in proportion to increase in density to a certain extent, beyond which, however, it reaches plateau. 2. Tiller weight increases according to the increase of density in varieties having small tiller size, however, this tendency is reversed in varieties having large tiller size. 3. The logarithm of tiller number per plant decreases linearly as the logarithm of density increases and, either in more tillering varieties or in prostrate type varieties which have more bent leaves, coefficients (absolute value) of linear regression are larger than in others. 4. In varietal difference of density response for fresh weight per plant, there is the same tendency as in tiller number per plant, however, H1 ryegrass, which has high density response for tiller number per plant, is less responsive to density than othevs because its density response for tiller weight is low. 5. Green yield increases generally as density increases, however, in varieties having sharp response to density it reaches the maximum at the second denser plot in this experiment. 6. It is presumed that, by investigating light intensity within canopies, a degree of light-receiving efficiency is one of the factors to bring about varietal difference of density response.

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The timothy leaf spot disease caused by Cladosporium phlei (Gregory) de Vries (Syn. Heterosporium phlei Gregory) has been reported to distribute in a wide area and to bring not a little damage to timothy grown in Hokkaido. When timothy is infected with the fungus, small violet spots on its leaf surface are observed as a symptom. Though the pigment produced by the fungi belonging to Dematiaceae have been described, little is known about the pigment produced by C. phlei and their toxicity for grasses and domestic animals. As a fundamental study, this paper deals with the purification procedure of an orange pigment from C. phlei and its some chemical characteristics.

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