Managemeni of Grass Land. 253 



pasture. It was therefore fallowed, limed, and sown with rape, 

 which produced a good crop and was consumed on the land by 

 sheep ; the seeds were then sown down without a crop, great 

 pains having been taken to procure the most suitable grass- 

 seeds for that description of land. They came up well, and 

 the following spring were unusually luxuriant, and I was con- 

 gratulated on the success of the operation. I was at that time 

 thoroughly impressed with the truth of the Persian proverb, 

 that " the sheep has a foot of gold, and turns to gold whatever it 

 touches," and 1 accordingly resolved that sheep, and sheep only, 

 should for some years enter my model pasture. The quantity 

 of sheep which this field carried in tb.e early months of the first 

 season was very great, not less than 10 or 12 to the acre, and 

 I flattered myself that so many feet of gold could not but produce 

 a splendid result. Before the end of the summer, however, the 

 rye-grass sent up its seed-stems, which the sheep would scarcely 

 touch, and the keep then declined sensibly, and did not carry any 

 quantity of stock after Midsummer. The field was very green 

 the following spring, and carried a good many ewes and lambs 

 in March and April, but its growth was much below that of the 

 previous year, and as the grasses (especially rye-grass and crested 

 dogstail) threw up their flowering stems, the pasture fell off 

 both sooner and more completely than before. I was rather dis- 

 appointed at this state of things ; but knowing that the second 

 and third were very trying years for all newly -laid grass, I de- 

 termined to make such a liberal application of the gokkn foot 

 as should terminate all suspense, and at once make this field 

 what it ought to be. 



Accordingly, as soon as the grass Avas about 6 inches high 

 the following spring, I penned a large flock of yearling sheep 

 upon it, giving them a fresh break of grass every day, to- 

 gether with as much linseed cake as they would eat. They 

 cropped the pasture quite close, and when the flock had gone 

 round the field, a fresh growth having sprung up, they were taken 

 over it in the same way a second and a third time, until they had 

 consumed several tons of linseed-cake, and made themselves very 

 tolerably fat. The effect of this treatment was to produce a 

 great rise of white clover, and the grass, though short, seemed 

 sweet and succulent, Next year I expected to see a marked 

 change in the pasture, but was much puzzled as well as disap- 

 pointed at not being able to perceive any decided improvement. 

 I still, however, believed this to be the most efficacious way of 

 enriching grass-land, and resolved to give it a further trial. I ac- 

 cordingly again penned sheep on the land, giving them as before 

 a full allowance of linseed-cake and a fresh break of grass daily. 

 This year convinced me that 1 was altogether on a wrong tack, as 



