ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 103 



A top-dressing of well-rotted farm -yard manure should be given 

 in the autumn at the rate of 10 or 12 cart-loads per acre, and the 

 land afterwards well chain-harrowed ; should this be impracti- 

 cable, a dressing of artificial manures, consisting of 1| cwt. nitrate 

 of soda, 2| cwt. of superphosphate, and 3 cwt. of kainit per acre, 

 should be applied about the end of September. 



In laying down light lands we prefer sowing the grass seeds 

 along with a corn crop early in spring. The after management 

 should be the same as has already been described. Thorough 

 drainage is the foundation of every agricultural improvement, 

 and we are assuming that the land to be laid down is either 

 naturally dry or has been made so artificially. A great extent 

 of grass land both in England and Scotland in its present state 

 is producing a very poor return in the shape of meat or milk, 

 but much of it, by a judicious expenditure of capital and skill, 

 is capable of doubling its produce. The first step is to remove 

 the superfluous water, followed by the application of lime or 

 artificial manures, which we frequently see producing magical 

 results. In some cases it is necessary to break up the land if 

 intended to be at once laid down to grasses. Again : In the 

 Midland Counties we prefer paring and burning the old turf from 

 the surface and spreading the ashes over the land. In some 

 parts of Scotland the climate might be unfavourable, but through- 

 out the greater part of the Lowlands there would be little diffi- 

 culty in carrying out this plan. The steam-cultivator now fur- 

 nishes us with a cheap and effective means of deeply stirring 

 and thoroughly pulverising the soil. The paring and burning 

 can only be successfully done during the summer months ; the 

 land is deeply stirred by the digger or steam-cultivator, and in 

 this state left exposed to the frosts of winter. In spring it is. 

 easily pulverised and reduced to a fine tilth. If the soil is of a 

 strong adhesive character and would be permanently injured by 

 the treading of sheep throughout the winter, then a crop of 

 white turnips must be sown early in May. These will be ready 

 to stock by the 1st of September. The whole should be eaten 

 on the land by sheep, which in addition to the turnips must 

 have a liberal allowance of oilcake ; the land would then l:>e in 

 good condition, and should be seeded down in spring with a 

 thinly-sown corn crop. If deemed too expensive or undesirable 

 to grow a turnip crop, the surface soil could be pared and burnt, 

 and the land cultivated and seeded down without a crop by the 

 middle of August of the same year. 



It is often desirable to renovate old pastures as well as to lay 

 down new ones. In 1866 a field of 40 acres of old grass came 

 into oiir hands ; the tenant who had occupied it for many years 

 at a rent of 38s. per acre complained that he had lost heavily 

 by it, and unless a considerable reduction was made in the rent 



