108 ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 



with ryegrass and red clovers ; 4th, mown in June, and after- 

 wards grazed with dairy cows ; 5th, oats grown by the aid of 

 artificial manures ; 6th, potatoes or turnips, manured with farm- 

 yard and artificials ; 7th, wheat, seeded down to permanent 

 pastures, with a large quantity of common and perennial rye- 

 grass, along with a mixture of red and white clovers, and a small 

 quantity of some of the more common varieties of natural 

 grasses. The land is invariably mown for hay the first year, and 

 afterwards grazed by dairy cows, very few sheep being kept in 

 this part of the country. The soil is a light sandy loam resting 

 on the New Eed Sandstone formation, and cheaply rented at an 

 average of 30s. per acre. Some of the best farmers apply a 

 dressing of 8 to 10 cwt. of prepared bones to the young seeds 

 the second year. This produces a magical effect ; it is not un- 

 common to see land increase in value 20s. an acre the third 

 year, after which the ryegrass and clovers become exhausted 

 and die out, and the pastures rapidly decrease in value until the 

 same operation is again repeated. The Cheshire farmers main- 

 tain that the rapid falling off of the pastures is entirely owing to 

 the natural effects of soil and climate. This we deny. The soil, 

 already exhausted by a scourging system of cropping, is laid 

 down with a short-lived variety of seeds ; any selection of seeds 

 suited to the soil and climate is completely ignored. A great 

 fault in the strata passes through this estate. It runs from 

 north-east to south-west for a distance of 5 miles. On the north- 

 west is the N"ew Eed Sandstone plain of Cheshire, which is here 

 at an elevation of 300 to 400 feet, whilst on the south-east the 

 Yordale rocks and millstone grit make their appearance. This 

 part of the estate has a northern exposure, and gradually rises 

 from 350 to 1050 feet. All the lower portion, up to a well- 

 defined line at an altitude of 500 feet, is covered with glacial 

 drift, "Scotch till"; this is principally in old pasture. Though 

 situated at the same elevation, and similar as to temperature and 

 rainfall, the seeds progress more slowly than on the New Red 

 Sandstone, yet, under good management, they continue steadilj^ 

 to improve. Only a few years ago some of this land, in its then 

 unimproved state, and under tillage, was dear at 15s. per acre ; 

 the same land, drained 4 feet deep, limed, and laid down to 

 pasture, is now worth 35s. Our experience leads us to the con- 

 viction that geoloGfical formation exercises a greater infiuence on 

 the pastures of Great Britain than temperature and rainfall. The 

 most successful instance which we have met with of laying down 

 land to permanent pasture by a tenant holding under yearly tenure, 

 and with no agreement beyond established custom, is that of 

 a farmer situated in South Leicestershire. The soil is an adhesive 

 clay belonging to the lower oolite. Upwards of twenty years 

 ago half the farm was in tillage, and so bad had its reputation 



