166 llORTUS CKAMINKlJS WOJi U UN ENSIS. 



clily taken up in clumps by the harrow or roller passing over 

 a damp surface. 



From the above facts it will be evident, that the smaller 

 the number of different species of grasses that are combined 

 together in a pasture, the greater is the deficiency of plants 

 on any given space of the land. This is an important fact to be 

 considered, in coming to a just conclusion respecting the 

 proper quantity of grass seeds which should be sown on a 

 given space of the ground, so as to furnish the surface of it at 

 once with the just sufficiency of plants. When an excess of 

 grass seeds is sown, the seeds, in general, all vegetate, but 

 the plants make little if any progress, until, from the want 

 of nourishment to the roots, and the confined space for the 

 growth of the foliage, a certain number decay, and give the 

 requisite room to the proper number of plants ; and that will 

 be according as there are a greater or less variety of different 

 species of grasses combined in the sward. 



If the seeds of the before named-grasses and plants be 

 mixed in the different proportions before stated, one bushel 

 of such mixture of seeds, sown on an acre of land, will 

 (omitting fractions) afford but two seeds to every square 

 inch — while the most productive ancient natural pasture 

 examined, had seven plants to every square inch. But the 

 statements respecting the seeds are founded, it is evident, 

 on the supposition that every seed vegetates and produces 

 a plant, and that the seeds are all equally spread over the 

 surface : but, as before observed, there are more circum- 

 stances than one which interfere to prevent the successful 

 vegetation and equal distribution of all the fine seeds ol" 

 grasses individually considered, and which may be sown at 

 any one time. The seed of cock's-foot is often defective, 

 the perennial red clover has frequently many abortive seeds, 

 and the meadow-foxtail seed is generally so bad as to afford 

 but one fertile seed out of three : to obtain a required num- 

 ber of plants on a given space of ground, from a known 

 quantity of seed, a pretty large allowance must therefore be 

 made to the seed, in order to meet those circumstances ad- 

 verse to certain vegetation in every instance, and equal dis- 

 tribution of the plants. 



