388 



Improvement of Grass-land on the 



15. Ononis Spinosa, Cammock, Petty Whin, or Rest-harrow ; 

 common in barren meadows. 



16. Potcntilla Anserina, Silver- weed. 



17. Rumex Acetocella, Dock. 



18. Medicago Lupulina, Yellow Clover. 



19. A few plants of Red and White Clover. 



The above list, which by no means includes everything, may 

 yet afford a fair example of the complex nature of the herbage, 

 and the prevalence of many plants deficient in nutritive pro- 

 perties, and indicative of wet and poor clays. The hay was 

 wiry, prickly, and void of proper fragrance. In the belief that 

 an analysis of such unusually poor stuff might offer some points 

 of interest, a fair average sample was so tested. 



1. General Composition of Poor Hay from Impoverished Pasture at 

 Braydon Manor Farm. 



Calculated Dry. 



Water 



Organic matter soluble in water 

 Mineral matter soluble in water 

 Organic matter insoluble in water .. 

 Mineral matter insoluble in water . . 



2. Detailed Composition 



Water 



Oil and wax 



*Insoluble albuminous compounds .. 



Crude woody fibre 56-10 



f Soluble albuminous compounds 



Sugar and gum 



Soluble mineral matter 



Insoluble mineral matter 



*Containing nitrogen 

 f Containing nitrogen 



1-32 



1-58 



The hay from the improved pasture was more succulent and 

 contained more moisture than the poor sample : in order to obtain 

 a fair comparison, the analytical results have been calculated in 

 both cases for hay containing an average proportion — that is, 16 

 per cent, of water — and also for the perfectly dry substances. 



The mere inspection of hay from the undrained impoverished 

 pasture shows a large proportion of thick woody stems, which no 

 cattle, however sharp set, are likely to touch. The analysis 

 points out over 67 per cent, of crude woody fibre, with but a small 

 quantity of soluble and readily digestible constituents ; thus bearing 



