102 ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 



plished, and with, say, one bushel of oats or barley per acre. 

 Strong land under tillage, and intended to be laid down to per- 

 manent pasture, should be deeply broken up early in the autumn, 

 and if possible whilst the soil is dry. 



Steam cultivation now affords an effective means of thoroughly 

 accomplishing this object. The soil, from being deeply stirred 

 and left in a rough state, derives great benefit from the amelior- 

 ating influences of frost and other climatic changes during the 

 winter months. During the spring and early summer the soil 

 is further stirred and thoroughly pulverised and all root w^eeds 

 completely destroyed. About the end of June a dressing of 

 well-rotted farm-yard manure is spread equally over the surface, 

 and covered in with a shallow furrow. We find that clover and 

 grass seeds always vegetate and succeed best on a firm seed-bed, 

 hence we pass Croskill's clod-crusher over the land before sow- 

 ing the seeds. This operation effects two important purjDoses. 

 It consolidates the soil and leaves a uniformly level seed-bed, 

 which prevents the tiny seeds from being buried too deep in 

 the soil. Clover and grass seeds are sown more evenly by the 

 seed barrow than it is possible to sow them by hand. The bar- 

 row can be set to sow any quantity either of clovers or grasses. 

 We always pay Id. per acre for each time over. We invariably 

 sow the grass and clovers separately ; the grass seeds are sown 

 twice, half the quantity is sown by passing the barrow length- 

 ways and the other half by passing across the ridges ; this pre- 

 vents any of the land being missed. The clovers are sown at 

 one operation. We need not say that in sowing light seeds it 

 is best to choose a still day. The seeds are covered by one stroke 

 either of a light chain harrow or a harrow made of white thorn 

 or other brush. If the soil is quite dry, a light roll follows the 

 harrow and completes the operation. The best time to lay down 

 strong land without a crop depends to some extent on locality, 

 but more particularly on the season. . In the Midland Counties 

 the best results are usually obtained by sowing from the 1st to 

 the middle of July. In ordinary seasons the land will be well 

 clothed before the winter sets in, and the young plants suffer 

 little from frost. Unquestionably by far the best system of 

 management the first year is that of folding the land with sheep, 

 as is generally practised in the south of England. The pen is 

 changed daily ; in this way the grass is not only eaten off level, 

 but the land derives great benefit from the droppings of the 

 sheep being evenly deposited over it. To obtain the best 

 results the sheep should receive a daily allowance of |- lb. per 

 head of good linseed cake. In Scotland we know this system 

 would be difficult to carry out. We would still recommend the 

 grazing with sheep the first year, and a free use of the scythe 

 to keep the pasture level and free from bunches or rank spots. 



