436 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



and, indeed, it keeps growing even in winter, while the 

 water is acting upon it, whilst in summer the moisture, 

 both above and below, cannot but exert a powerful in- 

 fluence on the growth of grasses. 



2. The changes in the Kinds of Herbage Plants under 



Irrigation 

 Now naturally demand attention, as a most important 

 object of inquiry; and, as an illustration of these, we 

 offer the following tables — firstly, of the contents of a 

 meadow which has only been a few years under the 

 process ; and m this are shown the proportionals of 

 grasses : secondly, of the herbage mixed with the grasses 

 before irrigation, and after two and four years of its 

 action : and the third shows the difference which exists 

 in different parts of a very old irrigated meadow, where, 

 from its steep slopes, the water could not reach the 

 higher ground, and so only the flat part can be acted 

 upon by the water. 



It should be remarked that both the meadows are on 

 the banks of the river Churn, and with a subsoil of 

 oolitic gravel ; so that, although, from their geology, 

 they are admiiably adapted for irrigation, yet, without 

 the process — as, indeed, their natural herbage plants 

 will show — the land now so rich in yielding three crops 

 in the year, and fetching the yearly rental of £5 an 

 acre, could only be considered as a thin upland pasture 

 in its properties, originally worth about 2Us. 



Table I., representing the Changes of Grasses 

 UNDER Irrigation. 



Botanical Names. 



Alopecurua pratensis . 



Poa pratensis 



„ ttivialis 



Briza medii 



Cynosurus cristatua. . 



Aira cajspitoaa 



Agrostis stolonifera. . 

 Dactylis glomerata . . 

 Avena flavescens .... 

 ,, pubescens.. .. 

 Hordeum pratense . . 

 Lolium perenne .... 

 This field has 



Trivial Names. 



Proportionals. 



2.2>.2 



<1<I-H 



meadow foxtail-grass . . 1 2 



field meadow-grass.. .. 2 3 



roughish meadow-grass 1 2 



quaking grass 2 



dogatail-grass 2 



liassock-graas 1 



marsh beut-grass .... 1 2 



cocksfoot-grass 1 2 



yellow oat-grass 2 3 



soft oat-grass 1 1 



meadow barley-grass . . 1 2 



perennial ryegrass .... 2 4 



trebled in value in four years. 



>^.2 



4 

 4 

 1 



This table is copied from the " Natural History of 

 British Meadow and Pasture Grasses,"* p. II, and to 

 it are appended the following remarks : — 



" This table shows us that all the better grasses have 

 increased, if we except the Poa trivicdis and Hordeum 

 pratense, in which cases there has been an increase in 

 grasses not possessing the best character. Now, with 

 respect to the first of these, it should be noted that 

 though it increased rapidly up till the third year, it 

 is now declining. This is explained on the supposition 

 that the drainage of the irrigated part was at first im. 

 perfect, and the water was consequently left in a par- 

 tially stagnant state : this is often the case with such 

 meadows on their first formation ; but ultimately the 

 water-conduits become better managed, and they act 

 more perfectly. And, again, these changes become 

 more evident where there is a gravelly subsoil. Stiff 

 clays, without a stratum of lighter "matter, seldom 

 succeed so well under irrigation." 



Now, as three years have passed since the above was 

 written, we are enabled to state that the change for the 



* Published by Hamilton, Adams, & Co. 



better is steadily progressing, and the Poa trivialis, 

 and, what still more evidenced a want of local drainage, 

 the Aii'a coesjiitosa — the well-known tussac or bull- 

 pate grass — are scarcely to be recognized in the field 

 at all. 

 Table II., representing the Changes of Herbs 



FOUND WITH the GRASSES. 



This table points out the important fact, that large 

 and in nutritious herbs in pasture are much destroyed 

 by irrigation ; and the previous one makes it clear that 

 their places are supplied by the grasses. However, the 

 beaked parsley, sometimes increases at first, and, though 

 it soon gets less, it is not entirely eradicated without 

 pulling. This should be done, as it takes up much room, 

 and is of little use in itself. Docks, too — such as 

 Rumex crispus (curled dock), Hximex ]}ratensis 

 (meadow dock), and Tiissilago petasites (butter burr), 

 often increase by irrigation ; these, however, are soon 

 destroyed, and if not allowed to seed, give but little 

 trouble; and, indeed, at the present moment we are 

 enabled to report that they exist only to a very slight 

 extent. 

 Table III., representing the Herbage of different 



PARTS OF AN OLD AND PARTIALLY IRRIGATED MeaDOW. 



Botanical Names. 



Trivial Names. 



bulbous crowfoot ..., 



upright ditto 



pilewort 



bluut-leaved dock ..., 

 crisp-leaved ditto .... 

 broad-leaved plantain , 



narrow ditto 



primrose 



beaked parsley 



false burnet 



common clover 



yellow 



hardhead 



blackhead 



daisy 



sedge 



Kauunculus bulbosus 



„ aeris 



„ ficaria ... 



* Rumex cbtusifolius. 



* „ crispus... 

 Plantago media 



„ lanceolata ... 



Prim\da vulgaris 



*Anthriscus sylvestris 



Poterium sanguisorba 



Trifolium pratense ... 



Achillese miUefolia ... 



Centaurea scabiosa... 

 I, nigra 



Bellis perennis 



Cares csespitosa 



Heath or " aour" 

 grasses 



Usual grasses of irri- 

 gated meadows— 

 mostly best kinds . 



• These are weeds which may easily be eradicated. 



■2 S 



a js 



I— I tu 



« 9 

 = .2 



*3 60 



These tables alone, if properly studied as to all their 

 consequences, will be amply sufficient to show the great 

 changes for the better which take place in meadows 

 conveniently placed and adapted for irrigation ; and 

 with them therefore we may, for the present, disniss the 

 further discussion of the scientific relations of ii.i Ration, 

 reserving the consideration of their economics for our 

 next paper. 



