168 MOKTUS CKA.MINKUS NV OB U RN EN S ! S. 



tated, and grew with most vigour under t!ie following cir- 

 cumstances ; when the ground had been deeply stirred, 

 broken very fine, and made perfectly smooth and compact 

 on the surface with a heavy roller, previous to sowing the 

 seeds, the ground in a dry state at the time of sowing, the 

 seeds sown on this fine, dry, compact surface : the larger 

 seeds not more than just covered, by drawing a fine rake on 

 the level surface, and afterwards sowing the small seeds, 

 and covering them no further than what was effected by a 

 repetition of the roller. The results further showed, that, 

 next to a coarse, inconsolidated, or loose surface, the practice 

 of deep sowing was, in the second degree, more injurious to 

 the veoetation of the seeds and the first progress of the 

 plants, than any other error that could be made in the 

 munitol part of the process of sowing the natural grasses on 

 a soil of good quality. 



When land is to be sown for permanent pasture, no admix- 

 ture of any annual or grain crop, or broad-leaved clover, 

 should be admitted with the grass seeds. Experience proves 

 that they are highly injurious to the intention of speedily 

 forming a solid productive sward ; and that the profit that 

 may accrue from a grain crop thus obtained, will be much 

 overbalanced by the loss of giass in the two following sea- 

 sons. Every plant of these annual crops occupies a place, to the 

 detriment of the expected sward ; besides rendering the sur- 

 face porous by the decay of their roots in the end of autumn, 

 much mischief, likewise, is done to the sward by portions of 

 the crops being beat down with heavy rains. The above 

 nuxture should be sown in the autumn or spring, at the rale 

 of four bushels and a half to fhe acre ; much less will fornx 

 u good pasture, but when the seeds can be had from the 

 farn) at a moderate expense, the maximum quantity should 

 be adopted. If sown in spring, it will be found highly 

 useful, in the following autumn, to give the surface a slight 

 top-dressing with rotten dung or compost, in which the seeds 

 or roots of weeds are not suspected, and to sow immediately 

 after half a bushel, more or less, of the mixture of seeds, 

 according as the sward appears to be deficient of plants ; 

 after which (the top-dressing being previously well reduced 



