ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 



105 



Perennial white clover, . 3 lbs. 



Cow grass, . . . . 2 ,, 



Alsike clover, . . . 1 „ 



Yellow suckling clover, . 1 „ 



The seeds were mown early the first summer, and folded Avith 

 sheep during the month of August. The second year the land 

 was well covered with grasses and clovers. Under the best 

 management the soil was too weak and inferior ever to produce 

 more than an ordinary store pasture. The third year we con- 

 sidered the land worth a rental of 26s. per acre. In a few years 

 the clovers, and some of the finer varieties of grasses are apt to 

 die out on such soils. 



In the year 1862, was seeded down some land in the parish of 

 Great Billing, in the county of Northampton. The soil was a 

 heavy, retentive loam, resting on the lias formation, which, under 

 arable culture, was worth 28s. per acre. The land, a wheat 

 stubble, was deeply ploughed during the month of October. In 

 this state it lay undisturljed till the following March, when it 

 was again deeply stirred with the plough, after being thoroughly 

 cleaned and pulverised. During the summer it was sown with 

 white turnips. The first week in July the turnips were all 

 eaten on the land by sheep, and were finished off about the 

 end of November. The land was closely ploughed up behind 

 the sheep; 3 bushels of oats were drilled, 9 inches apart, and 

 the seeds sown early in March. The seeds planted well and 

 grew vigorously. They were not stocked after harvest, nor 

 until the following April, when they were folded off with fatten- 

 ing wethers, eating half-a-pound of linseed cake daily. As 

 soon afterwards as they had made a sufficient growth they were 

 stocked with young cattle. The seeds were supplied by Sutton 

 and Sons, Heading, and consisted of the following mixtures :— 



The third year the land was worth a rent of 40s. per acre, and 

 continues steadily to increase in value. Down to the present 

 time the elevation is 250 feet, and tlie rainfall 23 inches. 



During the last six years a considerable area of land has been 

 laid down to permanent pasture on estates under our manage- 

 ment. A detailed description of one field on each of the different 

 geological formations, which has come within the range of our 

 practice, will suffice as an illustration of our experience. I may 



