Management of Grass Land. 257 



though at the low money price of 6A IO5. 9f/. per acre. It is 

 represented as being at that time a blow-away sand, partly con- 

 sisting of waste and partly of arable land, which grew inferior 

 crops of rye, and let at about 2s. 6r/. per acre, A century and a 

 half of improving cultivation have brought it into a state in which 

 it will grow five quarters of wheat per acre in a good season, 

 and it would be generally described as first-rate turnip and barley 

 land. It lets for 50.'?. per acre, and land of no better quality in the 

 neighbourhood has frequently been sold for 90/. to 100/. per acre. 

 1 have more than once endeavoured to lay down to permanent 

 grass a piece of land on this farm, and have found that it is soon 

 covered with short sweet herbage, and that it carries a heavy 

 stock of sheep for the first two years ; but the land has not suf- 

 ficient strengtli to feed cattle, and the constant cropping of sheep 

 destroys many of the best grasses. I have endeavoured by top- 

 dressings and by liquid manure to force it into good permanent 

 pasture, but, in consequence of the porosity of the land, which 

 pi-omotes rapid decay, very little accumulation of vegetable 

 mould can take place, and constant manuring must be resorted 

 to, which, on this description of land, would seldom ba repaid : 

 it is therefore recommended that light sandy loams should 

 never be laid to permanent grass, unless where local convenience 

 makes it of importance, and in that case an effort should be made 

 before laying it down to give it a heavy dressing of clay or marl. 

 The permanently improved quality of the herbage, and the in- 

 creased power of retaining manure thus obtained, would repay 

 even the heavy cost of carting 100 or more loads of clay per 

 acre from some little distance. 



Let us next consider the case of stiff" clays. In all really strong* 

 land the principal obstacle to effective cultivation is the difficulty 

 of producing and maintaining a good tilth. The elements of 

 fertility are, in soils of this character, seldom wanting; but when 

 in their natural state, tli^ closeness of their texture makes it dif- 

 ficult for the roots of plants to make their way into them, nor can 

 atmospheric air or water enter with sufficient freedom, so that 

 the decomposition of manure and of the mirierals is slow and im- 

 perfect, and does not furnish an adequate supply of materials for 

 a rapid plant-growth. Deep ploughing, fallows, and repeated 

 gtirrings in dry weather, produce a temporary suspension of the 

 jjvil ; but the first heavy rain tends to consolidate the soil 

 a^gain, and, if left undisturbed, the variations of temperature 

 a^nd other atmospheric changes soon restore it to that heavy 

 godden state which is so unfavourable to vegetation, and whicli 

 ^he farmer exerts himself to counteract by the repeated use of 

 the hoe and the grubber. So soon,' however, as such land is 

 pid down to permanent grass, all the mechanical operations by 

 VOL. XIX. S 



