314 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



performed, whether by bare fallowing, or m the 

 cultivation of root, or, as they may be more cor- 

 rectly desifrnatec], fallow crops, the operation must 

 be done effectually, and not hurried or slurred 

 over. The couch-grass rake, which is used in 

 many parts of England, will be found a useful 

 auxiliary in the earlier stages of the business, but 

 it ought not to depend altogether on this, but must 

 be followed by careful hand-picking. Joints of 

 couch-grass, small dock roots, and various other 

 weeds, will escape the rake, and these can only be 

 effectually removed by the hand. Hand picking, 

 no doubt, adds to the expense ; but it is neverthe- 

 less absolutely necessary, if it is desirable to lay 

 the land down in a proper manner. 



It is of no use attempting to lay down land to 

 permanent grass if it is in poor condition, or what 

 is called out of heart. When potatoes are the 

 preceding crop, and autumn cleaning can be 

 carried into effect, the manuring ought to take 

 place before the land is rough-ploughed previous 

 to winter. This manuring ought to consist of not 

 less than 25 to 30 tons of farm-yard dung, and it 

 is not necessary that the manure be fully decom- 

 posed. By the spring it will become incorporated 

 with the soil, and there is a greater probability of a 

 sound crop of potatoes than would be the case if 

 the application of the manure was deferred until 

 the planting season. In the spring, and im- 

 mediately previous to planting, when the manure 

 was ploughed down in autumn, is the proper time 

 to apply lime. The quantity necessary depends on 

 the nature of the soil ; but in the case of loams of 

 a medium character, that is, neither a heavy clay, 

 nor a light, moory, or sandy soil, we have been in 

 the habit of using from 120 to 150 bushels of lime 

 per statute acre as it comes from the kiln. If it is 

 not convenient to apply it in spring, the operation 

 may be deferred until the removal of the crop. In 

 this case we would sow eight to ten bushels per 

 statute acre of half-inch bones broadcast, previous 

 to planting the potatoes. In all cases which have 

 come under our observation, we have seen that 

 bones are almost an indispensable necessary when 

 laying down land to permanent grass-. We may be 

 permitted to mention one case in particular as an 

 illustration. In laying down a field of rather stiff 

 clay loam, which had been previously heavily hmed, 

 to a part of the field bone-dust was applied, whilst 

 the remaining portion was laid down after farm- 

 yard manure. The boned portion was in the 

 middle of the field. Ten years afterwards the 

 boned land could be plainly distinguished from the 

 rest of the field, even at a considerable distance ; 

 the turf was closer and greener, and always closely 

 eaten by whatever stock was grazed in the field, 

 but especially by sheep. 



After the potatoes are removed, say early in 

 September, the land must be harrowed, and all 

 weeds carefully removed. After this apply the 

 lime, or bones, if not done in spring, and then set 

 the two-horse grubber to work, stirring up the soil 

 thoroughly, both across the field and lengthways. 

 Takmg for granted that the land is either naturally 

 or artificially dry, it will be best to lay it down to 

 grass in a level state, that is, without furrows ; and 

 the action of the grubber ought to be quite suf- 



ficient to make an excellent seed bed. The seeds 

 are then sown and the land harrowed, but not 

 rolled, unless in the case of very dry, sandy, 

 or sharp land. We shall afterwards refer to the 

 kinds and quantities of seeds to be used. 



When turnips or mangel are the crops which 

 precede grass, the liming ought to be done imme- 

 diately after the removal of the previous grain 

 crop, before the land receives the winter furrow, so 

 that it may be thoroughly incorporated in the soil 

 before the application of manure for the root crop. 

 The farm-yard manure, not less than 20 tons 

 per acre, in combination with bones, will be applied, 

 of course, immediately before sowing the turnip 

 seed. As turnips do not perfect their growth until 

 it is too late to sow grass seeds, and very likely 

 being either wholly or in part consumed by sheep 

 (if so, so much the better), the sowing of the grass 

 seeds- must be deferred till spring. In this case, 

 as soon as the turnips are removed or consumed, 

 the land must be ploughed in very broad ridges or 

 lands, say fifty or sixty feet wide (still taking 

 for granted that the land is dry), and even wider, if 

 convenient. In this state it will lie until spring, 

 when, if the crop has been entirely removed, and 

 not consumed either altogether or partly by sheep, 

 after the land has been thoroughly operated upon 

 by the grubber, 2 cwt. per acre of Peruvian guano 

 may be harrowed in, the grass seeds sown, 

 harrowed, and rolled. 



If the land is bare fallowed, preparatory to being 

 laid down to permanent grass, we would strongly 

 urge the necessity of being most particular in con- 

 ducting the various operations of ploughing, har- 

 rowing, and weed picking, because we have not 

 unfrequently seen bare fallows which could only be 

 called fallows by courtesy. The land certainly was 

 not in crop ; neither was it, properly speaking, in 

 grass ; but it was bearing a luxuriant crop of couch 

 and other weeds; and instead of attempting to 

 remove these, their growth was merely retarded for 

 the time by an occasional ploughing. We have, 

 indeed, known in more than one case a crop of 

 couch-grass hay to be taken off these so-called 

 fallows. " Thorough " must be the motto, 

 whether it relates to draining, manuring, working 

 of the land, or eradicating every vestige of the 

 weeds by which it is infested. 



The kinds and quantities of grass seeds to be 

 sown are regulated by the nature of the soil. On 

 soils of medium quality, the following mixture will 

 be found advantageous : — 



Perennial rye-grass, 10 lbs. ; Italian rye-grass, 

 4 lbs.; Timothy, 1^ lbs. ; Cocksfoot, 5 lbs. ; Mea- 

 dow Foxtail, 2i lbs. ; Rough-stalked meadow grass, 

 2 lbs. ; Hard fescue grass, 2i lbs. ; Meadow fescue 

 grass, 35 lbs. ; Perennial red clover, G lbs. ; White 

 or Dutch clover, 4 lbs. ; Alsike clover, 2 lbs., per 

 statute acre. 



In dry lands intended chiefly for sheep pasture 

 omit the timothy and the rough-stalked meadow 

 grass, and substitute 3 lbs. of sheep's fescue and 2 

 lbs. of common parsley, both of which are greedily 

 eaten by sheep. In heavy or damp soils double the 

 quantity of timothy as given in the above mixture ; 

 and whilst allowing only one-half of the hard 

 escue grass, add the quantity deducted from this, 



