302 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the prevailing chemical principles that that manure 

 should contain. 



From these facts it follows that we are enabled 



Ist. To predicate the nature of the soil by its grasses, 

 ■when we have them in " natural pasture." 



2ndly. In laying down pastures for a permanency, 

 or choosing grasses for shifting crops, we are enabled 

 to choose the kinds of grasses best adapted to the vary- 

 ing conditions of soil. And 



3rdly. These considerations teach us how we may 

 encourage the growth of some kinds of grasses, and dis- 

 courage that of others. 



Now, in treating these three questions we shall take 

 it for granted that our first position has been already 

 sufficiently illustrated. I shall for the present confine 

 our observations to an illustration of the second pro- 

 position, and so offer examples of 



The Choice of Grasses for various Circumstances. 

 —To meet some of these, the following mixtures are 

 offered as examples, the quantities of course to be re- 

 gulated by condition of soil, and other slight modifica- 

 tions, only to be known as the result of experience. The 

 clovers are added because they greatly benefit the 

 herbage ; but the more particular history of these will 

 form a future subject for inquiry. 



The positions tabulated are seven ; and each of these, 

 and the reasons for the choice of grasses indicattd,will 

 be remarked upon seriatim. 



Now this table represents the prevailing grasses, &c., 

 in each of the positions indicated, putting aside all ex- 

 traneous herbage, which will be found abundantly in all 

 of them ; and, therefore, we may from this gather the 

 kinds of grasses which we should employ if we have 

 occasion to lay down grass under any of these condi- 

 tions. Again, as aiding us in a general conclusion as to 

 the nature and quality of the soil and its produce in 

 which such allocation of herbage occurs, we offer the 

 following as a mere approximation to an appraisement of 



hay-making power, as also of average rent of the four 

 first conditions of meadow. 



Hay I Kent 

 Per acre. I Per acre. 



1. Ricli loams, hay, from 



2. Light lowland soils 



3. Poor uplands 



4. Irrigated meadows, with spring. . 



feed, hay, and aftermath 



Cwt.Cwt. 

 25 to 35 

 15 25 

 10 20 



s. a. 



30 to 60 

 20 40 

 12 20 



20 



30 60 100 



Or course these figures are liable to immense varia- 

 tion, but still as a general rule the amount of this will 

 to a very considerable extent depend upon the variety of 

 the grass herbage, and we now refer to this under the 

 heads given in our table. 



1. Deep Loams. — The rich deep soils of our English 

 valleys depend for their valuable properties upon the 

 circumstances of their geological structure ; most of 

 these repose in " valleys of denudation" — that is to say, 

 they have been scooped out by the action of water. In 

 some we have broad flats between eminences on either 

 side, the whole of which were once occupied by water, 

 though now, perhaps, without water at all, or a small 

 stream or brook may convey away the water of the dis- 

 trict after the manner of a main drain. This water 

 action, while it scooped out the stratum on the one hand, 

 yet brought silt and mixed materials into the bottoms 

 on the other ; and wherever materials are well mixed, 

 we have just the conditions most favourable to the deve- 

 lopment of meadow. Now we speak of these meadows 

 as being original pastures, and yet in many instances we 

 may trace the marks of the plough in ridges or lands 

 more or less elevated. However, such meadow has 

 usually been in the state of pastuie for a long time, 

 and if in a well-farmed district we shall find that it 

 universally contains a mixture of some six or eight of 

 our best grasses, growing very thick, and well matted; 

 but that plants other than grasses — if we except clover 

 — are comparatively few. Such pastures, then, always 

 afford good hay, and usually good crops, and hay may 

 be taken more frequently than in the case next to be 

 described. 



2. Light lowland soils are such as, being on 

 lower slopes of hills, or resting on a sandy bottom, 

 being the remains of an ancient beach, like some of the 

 vale land in Gloucestershire, are devoid of a mixture of 

 the finer silt and clays, out of which loams are formed. 

 Here the grasses will be more mixed than in the pre- 

 ceding case, though the better kinds will be almost 

 absent, or only represented by much poorer specimens. 

 Other wild plants, however, will be usually abundant, 

 and the prevalence of the plantain and the daisy among 

 the herbage, that take up space to grow without adding 

 to the produce of food ; or the stinging nettle, which 

 superadds a positive injury; crowfoot, meadow-sweet, 

 and others which take the place of grass, and only 

 dilute the produce, whether of pasturage or hay. 

 These light pastures, where they cannot be acted upon 

 by irrigation, offer but little scope for improvement 

 beyond a constant deepening of soil by means of marl- 

 ing, mowing, or the application of manure ; if we except 

 that process of weeding which is as necessary in pasture 

 as in arable cultivation, and which will be more espe- 

 cially referred to in a future chapter. 



3. Light uplands are even less productive than thin 

 soil lowlands; but as they are usually the positions for 

 the growtli of the varieties of the sheep's-fescue and 

 small but nutritious varieties ofcther grasses, especially 

 of the perennial rye and a stunted form of meadow 

 grass, the pasture is usually sweet ; and as these hardy 

 kinds of grasses allow almost any amount of clipping, 

 such meadows should be almost exclusively depastured, 



