1 8 00. Oh the ^lalUy of Rye-Grafs Seed. 27 1 



ers of almoft every defcription ; and, in particular, to the a-* 

 mateurs of Agriculture and Rural Affairs *. 



TO THE CONDUCTORS OF THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 

 0)1 the ^lal'iiy of Rye-Grafs Seed. 



Gentlemen, 



I was highly pleafed with the obfervations given In your 

 ialt, refpccling tLe inanngement of hay., fi'om which, in my 

 humble opinion, much benefit may be derived. It would 

 have given me additional pleafure, had the well-informed au- 

 thor of that paper communicated his fentiments, concern- 

 ing the hindsy qimlities^ and quantities of feed, proper to be 

 fown for producing a full crop of that neceffary article ; as 

 I believe, upon thefe points, the public in general are much 

 at a lofs. In this country, agriculturifts are nearly at one, 

 that red clover and rye-gvafs afford the greatefl return j while, 

 in our lifter country, very different notions are entertained. 

 Taking it, however, for granted, that red clover and rye-grafs 

 are bcft calculated for producing a full crop of hay, I beg 

 leave to inquire, in v^^hat manner the kind or quality of the 

 rye-grafs is to be afcertained ? It is notorious, that an an- 

 nual kind of rye-grafs is lately introduced, which has been 

 attended by heavy loffes to the farmers who have fown down 

 land, with a view of allowing it to remain in paftuve for two 

 or more years •, and I am alfo inclined to think, that many 

 noxious weeds, both of annual and perennial foils, are now 

 generally mixed amongft the greatell part of rye-grafs. It 

 is evident, that, fmce grafs feeds have been fown in quanti- 

 ties in this country, a vaft increafe of that deftru6live and 

 pernicious weed, provincially called knot- grafs y or fivine-ar- 

 noly has taken place ; and that, upon a great m.any foils, it 

 is fcarcely poffible, with every degree of pains, to extirpate 

 it. I have noticed fields very completely fallowed, when 



fown 



* We do not mean, however, from this, to give an unqualified approbation 

 to this work. The author has allowed himfelf, in fome in(tances, without re- 

 flection, to adopt very ill-founded opinions from others. For example, what hs 

 ftates of Sweden, liaving a population of 220 to the fquare rnile, and Europtsaa 

 RulFia upwards of 400, is beyond all bounds extruvagaut. N. 



