170 IIORTUS GRAMINEUS WO lUJ It N Jl N S 1 S. 



tliis, no doubt, as well as in other particular modes of 

 management recommended for general practice in the culture 

 of plants, local circumstances may interfere so much as often 

 to render some modification of them necessary. 



For the following valuable observations on the mode of 

 managing grass lands in Devonshire, I am indebted to 

 A. Wilson, Esq. of Hurdwick House, near Tavistock. The 

 Devonshire farmers are very expert at preparing composts 

 for their grasslands. Compost of lime and mould : — The 

 mould by the side of the fence within the enclosure is broken 

 up with a plough, to the width of from three to six feet, 

 varying according to the depth and quality of soil. With a 

 mattock or broad hoe, the turf and mould broken by the 

 plough are finely pulverized. After laying a few weeks, to 

 become mellow, the soil is banked up to the depth of a foot, 

 ^riving it a level surface. The lime is taken from the kiln in 

 dot, and carted on the bank of mould on which it is spread. 

 The lime is applied in the proportion of one to six ; or one 

 cart-load of lime (ten Winchester bushels) to six cart-loads of 

 the pulverized mould. The mould on the outside of the heap 

 is thrown over the lime to keep off the wet, until a favourite 

 opportunity for incorporating the whole mass offers, which 

 is as soon as the lime is reduced to a state of powder, and is 

 effected by breaking down and turning over the bed of 

 mould and lime. It is then banked up, with a sloping ridge 

 to throw off the wet, in which state it remains from one to 

 three or more months. It is carted on the land at the rate 

 of from fifty to eighty bushels of lime per acre, or in the state of 

 compost, from thirty to forty cart-loads per acre. This 

 dressino- is applied at different times of the year ; but it 

 has been found to answer best in May ; the grass at that 

 season springs quickly through the dressing, and gradually 

 settles into the ground, without being injured by exposure to 

 frost snow, or rajn. When dung is added to the compost, 

 it is at the rate of eight or twelve cart-loads per acre ; it is 

 mixed with the compost of lime and mould two months after 

 the latter has been made up, and in this state remains for a 

 month : the compost is then turned over and thoroughly 

 mixed a second time : it ought to remain, after this last 



