Management of Grass Land. 259 



would be sufficient without manure, or that a moderate dressing of 

 manure would do without the compost — he will be wise to abstain 

 altogether from laying strong land down to grass, as assuredly it 

 will be more profitable to him whilst under the plough. But to 

 those who in laying down land to grass do not contemplate convert- 

 ing it into an unprofitable waste, but intend it to be kept like the 

 rest of the farm in a productive state, I would recommend that 

 after the liberal manuring above described, applied in the 

 autumn or early winter, the land should be well rolled the 

 following spring, and grazed with young cattle for that year. It 

 must not be expected that even this treatment will make the 

 pasture at once equal to old grass, but it will prevent the sudden 

 falling off which is so commonly observed in the second or third 

 year after laying down. I do not recollect ever to have seen the 

 causes of this rapid decline of fertility explained. It is matter 

 of notoriety that it does occur, and apparently it is considered a 

 matter of necessity that it should occur ; but a little consideration 

 will, I think, show how this unsatisfactory state of things may be 

 much mitigated, though perhaps not altogether removed. All 

 the gramineae that are of value for grazing or mowing purposes 

 require a fine tilth or mould, as a condition of their successful 

 cultivation. For the first year or two after strong land has been 

 laid down it retains, to some extent, the porous texture induced 

 by the thorough disintegration which it received in course of 

 preparation for sowing. The second winter, however, generally 

 obliterates all traces of previous cultivation, and the close and 

 sodden state of the land which then supervenes is highly 

 unfavourable to the growth of grass. The land may contain a 

 sufficient supply of all the elements of plant nutrition ; but they 

 are in a crude state, and a constant supply of oxygen is required 

 to promote the decomposition of the mineral and vegetable 

 matters, and their recombination in forms available as plant 

 food ; so that if air and water cannot easily and quickly pass 

 through the soil in repeated succession, a check is given to 

 nature's underground cookery as complete as if the flues were 

 stopped in the farmer's own kitchen, and the dinner had to be 

 prepared without any possibility of lighting a fire. Hence the 

 sudden falling off in the produce of newly-laid grass on strong 

 land, and hence the necessity at this critical period for an 

 abundant supply of plant food on the surface to compensate for 

 the falling off from below. 



In all old grass-land we find a layer of fine mould around 

 and below the roots of the grass. This consists of vege- 

 table remains, and fine earth brought up by the slo>w but con- 

 stant agency of earthworms. I am happy to be able from 

 my own observation to support the views entertained on this 



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