110 ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS IN ENGLAND. 



now that compensation for improvements is recognised by law 

 as permissible (some do hold that provision to be all that is 

 implied in the recent Act). It is palpable to the educated eye, 

 who has traversed a few of the English counties, that the im- 

 provement of grass land has not kept pace with that of arable 

 land, a circumstance that is probably due to the opinion com- 

 monly held, that its improvement leaves less margin for profit. 



In laying down arable land to pasture, the difficulty is, as we 

 have said, to procure a good grassy sward in a short space of 

 time, especially on heavy land; but even light, sharp land and 

 mixed soils do not take to grass readily. In speaking lately to 

 Mr Lavender of Biddenham on the subject, he remarked that 

 although he were to sow down his land with the best seeds, the 

 surface would not be closely filled with plants till twenty years 

 had nearly expired. The plants indigenous to the soil would, 

 judging from what we saw, gain the whole and sole possession 

 of the land before that time, whatever kinds might be sown. 

 His lands are on the valley gravel, having a tolerable mixture 

 of loam, and the non-success of grasses and clovers on such soils 

 is a puzzle to those who have been accustomed to convertible 

 husbandry. Some try to explain the anomaly by reference to 

 the mechanical condition of the soil — its density and adhesive- 

 ness; and, doubtless, where the soil is strong clay, its compactness 

 and hardness are the greatest barriers to the olDtaining of a close 

 bottom, for, as has been truly remarked, the ingredients in its 

 composition for the growth of grasses are not awanting. But 

 the land referred to is of a friable nature, offering every facility 

 for the rootlets pushing their way in all directions in search of 

 food: so in that case the texture of the soils forbids the applica- 

 tion of the argument. Others again ascribe it to the climate, 

 but neither of the opinions fully satisfy all the conditions of the 

 problem. 



It will suit the design of this paper best to give some parti- 

 culars descriptive of the conduct of pasture lands, and such 

 experiments as have come under our observation. Eespecting 

 the prevailing plants in old pastures, we liave frequently in 

 bygone years spent occasional days with Mr Maclaren of Cardiug- 

 ton, who, to his acknowledged accomplishments in botany and 

 gardening, has acted as steward on the home farm of C. S, "V\Tiit- 

 bread, Esq. of Southill and Cardington for the last thirty years, 

 The old meadows on this farm were once the property of the well- 

 known and world-renowned philanthropist, John Howard, and 

 they were undoubtedly old pastures when he was a boy. The 

 arable land had at one time borne an enormous proportion to 

 pasture; but for several centuries the case has been reversed. 

 It is stated respecting the meadow land at Eothamsted, where 

 experunents the most valuable in our day are being carried out, 



