THE FOURTH EDITION. 3 



arable farmers in times past, that the tenantcy of it 

 was eagerly sought, its value was consequently highly 

 prized, heavy fines were imposed for breaking it up ; 

 the banks of rivers were usually made commonable, in 

 order that the surrounding farmers might each have 

 a share ; and these meadows were in many cases irri- 

 gated, in order to increase still more the scanty stock 

 of winter fodder. 



These privations, so long and so severely felt by 

 British farmers in the early part of the last century, 

 did not escape the notice of their scientific friends, 

 more especially botanists. The latter considered 

 whether any summer-growing plant could be sown 

 upon arable land, and which could also be hayed and 

 ricked for winter consumption. Several were sug- 

 gested and approved ; and soon after, the clovers, 

 lucern, saintfoin, and vetches appeared in every agri- 

 cultural district of the kingdom. A considerable ac- 

 cession of live stock on every arable farm soon fol- 

 lowed the introduction of those excellent forage 

 plants ; and the stock of both sheep and black cattle 

 has been subsequently still more augmented, since 

 the introduction of turnip, beet, &c. into field culti- 

 vation. 



Nor did botanists neglect to investigate the various 

 species of grasses which were found in almost every 

 pasture or meadow. Some grass-land was more cele- 

 brated for its fattening qualities than others ; and it 

 became an interesting question, to know whether the 

 superior quality of the herbage was derived from the 

 land, or contained in the species of grass which was 

 most prevalent in the turf. Although the superior 



B 2 



