106 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 



here state that, acting as the agent of a large proprietor on 

 whose estates the farms are all held under yearly tenancies, when 

 I consider the letting value of the farm will be increased, and 

 the land in a suitable state as to condition and cleanliness, the 

 landlord pays for the seeds, and the tenant is at the expense of 

 the necessary manures and cultivation. In the spring of 1871, a 

 field in the occupation of Mr W. J. Sketchley, situated in the 

 hamlet of Amberston, in the county of Derby, was laid down to 

 permanent pasture. The soil, a red, sticky clay, belonging to 

 the Keuper Marl series of the New Eed Sandstone, under arable 

 culture, was quite unfit for the growth of roots. Wheat, beans, 

 and oats, succeeded by a naked fallow, was the usual rotation. 

 In 1869 we valued the land for rental at 26s. per acre. This 

 land was summer fallowed and limed, and seeded down with an 

 oat crop. The seeds wei-e purchased of ]\Iessrs F. and A. Dick- 

 son of Chester, and consisted of the following mixtures : — 



Meadow foxtail, 

 Sweet vernal, 

 Crested dogstail, 

 Eougli cocksfoot 

 Hard fescue, . 

 Sheep fescue, . 

 Darnel-leaved fescue, 

 Dickson's perennial ryegrass. 



Durincr the first 



2 

 1 

 3 

 3 



2 



2 

 2 

 8 



the 



lbs. 



Pacey's perennial ryegrass, . 10 lbs, 

 Timothy, . . . . 4 „ 

 Smooth-stalked meadow grass, 2 ,, 

 Yellow trefoil, . . • i jj 

 Perennial white clover, . 2 „ 

 Cow grass, . . . . 3 „ 



Alsike clover. 



seeds were weak and 



3 



year tne young seeas were weaK ana puny. 

 They were mown the first week in June, and afterwards stocked 

 with cattle, but carried very little stock that year. During the 

 third year the land had so far improved as to be worth a rental 

 of 32s. It continued slowly to improve ; yet it is still far from 

 being a good pasture. The elevation is 265 feet, and the average 

 rainfall 27 inches. 



On an adjoining farm a 20 acre field of similar quality and 

 character of soil, resting on the same formation, was laid down 

 hj the present tenant. He tells me the land was summer 

 fallowed, and limed and seeded down about midsummer without 

 a corn crop. He is entirely ignorant as to the kinds and 

 quantities of the seeds sown, they having been furnished by 

 Messrs T. B. Gibbs and Co., Half-]\Ioon Street, Piccadilly, Lon- 

 don, to whom a description of the laud was sent ; and the 

 selection has proved very suitable. The tenant tells me that the 

 land, when under the plough, was dear at 23s. per acre; the 

 present rent is 55s. I believe for the first three or four years 

 after seeding down it kept very little stock. It has never been 

 top-dressed, either with farm-yard or artificial manures. For a 

 number of years sheep, eating linseed cake or corn, have been 

 wintered upon it. 



On a farm in the occupation of Mr William Harriman, situated 



