246 On the Manuring of Grass Land. 



The essential difference between this case and the former ones 

 is, that the manure employed may be purchased like guano or 

 bones, and consequently that no portion of the already deficient 

 supply of farmyard dung is taken to fertilize the now neglected 

 grass. On the contrary, the grass-land is a contributor to the 

 land under the plough, to the full extent of all the extra manure 

 arising from the increased quantity of hay consumed on the farm. 

 But a single case of the employment of this manure is here ad- 

 duced, because that is sufficient to illustrate the subject upon 

 which I write ; otherwise, the experience of various soils ov^er 

 hundreds of acres might be adduced to show that we may rely 

 upon it for grass as we rely upon bones for turnips. It has never 

 yet failed, nor, to my knowledge, produced a less crop than upon 

 the field mentioned. 



A number of composts has been given above, in order that, 

 however situated, the farmer might find something suited to his 

 needs and practically available. Will they pay ? Positive evi- 

 dence of their employment cannot be given, because they are 

 new ; but any one competently skilled in the chemistry of agri- 

 culture, and familiar with English farming, will see that there is 

 a well-grounded probability of their answering fully the end for 

 which they were devised. I shall take them to produce an in- 

 crease of I ton of hay per acre, and double the normal quantity 

 of after-grass : — 



£. «. d. 

 Average cost of compost per acre 2 



f ton of hay, at 4? 3 



Half of after-<2;rass, at 10s 5 



3 5 

 2 



Profit £1 5 o/PV""^^^,^^'^ 



\ 01 compost. 



Again, is it worth while to expend 21. per acre to make a 

 profit of 25s. ? 



A leading article in the ' Agricultural Gazette,' of October 25, 

 1856, on ' the Growth of Funguses in Pastures,' affords a lucid 

 exposition of the evil of poverty and the benefit of manure. It 

 shows the extent to which the farmer has the fertility of grass in 

 his own hands, the permanent improvement effected by a course 

 of judicious manuring, and the permanent deterioration caused 

 by witldiolding manuie. 



" In all poor pastures the duration of the life of a species of grass is very 

 precarious, as evidenced hy the quantity of decayed tufts which are seen in 

 such situations at most seasons of the year. As regards poor meadows, it is 

 (pite astonishing the changes that take place in the position of the grasses 



