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TJie Country Gentleman's Magazine 



kept in a thriving and fattening condition for 

 the time specified, and splendid beasts they 

 were. They would make grand killers. Be- 

 fore the cattle were put on the grass, two crops 

 of hay, estimated at 5 tons per acre, had 

 been taken ofif the ground. 



This year, the like, or even greater produc- 

 tiveness, we are informed, has been obtained 

 at Stoke Park. " Guano manure put upon 

 the irrigated land in the month of March, 

 gave a growth of thick-set grass 9 inches 

 long, which was grazed by the first week in 

 April. The same quality and quantity of 

 manure was applied to the adjoining perma- 

 nent pasture land at the same date in March, 

 and, notwithstanding the rain which fell, the 

 growth on that land is as yet nothing beyond 

 a change in colour to a darker green." The 

 advantages of the irrigation, it is contended, 

 are " shewn to be in tempering the soil when 

 dry weather came in the end of March and 

 beginning of April, supplying moisture regu- 

 larly, and in just sufficient quantity to pre- 

 vent the surface from crusting." The manure 

 was utiUzed to the fullest extent, and the re- 



sult was as stated above, the growth of about 

 9 inches of grass in about the same number 

 of days. 



The permanent pasture of Great Britain 

 amounts to about 40 per cent., and of Ireland 

 about 64 per cent, of the whole surface of 

 the land, and with the application of this 

 system, coupled with the admirable character 

 of its utilization of artificial manures, it is 

 alleged that ground now comparatively, if not 

 altogether unproductive, could be made to 

 yield nutriment for from two to five bullocks 

 per acre, according to quality of land, or 

 from fifteen to twenty-five sheep on the same 

 space of ground; that, in fact, under the 

 genial influences of this system of irrigation, 

 the land could be made to nearly double its 

 productiveness in beef and mutton. While 

 this estimate seems to us a very much too 

 sanguine one, the fields at Stoke Park leave 

 no room to dispute that the effects of water 

 judiciously applied to grass lands are some- 

 thing marvellous ; and in connexion with 

 the meat question, the plan sketched out 

 above is deserving of every consideration. 



