258 IIORTIIS GRAMINEUS \V() BT'Tl N EN SIS. 



incumbent on clay, for I invariably found the head ridges,, 

 which had been raised considerably above the level of the 

 rest, as tlie first conductors of the water, were plentifully 

 stocked with the superior grasses, and as productive of grass- 

 as those of the first-mentioned meadows. 



The hay of water-meadows is generally supposed to be 

 less nutritious than tlie hay of rich permanent pasture land. 

 I compared the qsiantity of nutritive matter afforded by these 

 grasses, produced under irrigation, and those produced in 

 rich permanent pasture land. The difference was much less 

 than I had expected. An instance may suffice : — 



Ray-grass from a water-meadow. 72 grs. 



Ditto, from a rich, dry, depastured ditto 95 



Ditto, undepastured meadow 100 



Ditto, from the rich undepastured soil 120 



A water-meadow may be said to be a hot-bed for grass. 

 The rajjidity with which vegetation advances by the process 

 of irrigation justifies the comparison. The small deficiency 

 of nutritive matter in water-meadow hay, is what might 

 be expected from such a cause ; as we find it exemplified by 

 daily experience, in the instances of esculent vegetables 

 that are forced beyond their natural habits. The same 

 effects are produced by the application of an excess of 

 manure. 



When a water-meadow is formed, if the original turf be 

 fine, and free from the coarse inferior grasses, it will be 

 found the most expeditious way to obtain a good sward, to 

 replace the turf on the new-formed ridges, and afterwards to 

 give a top-dressing with compost, and then to sow a mixture 

 of the following grass seeds: Alopecurns jJmtensis, dactylis 

 glomerala, fesiuca 'prateusis, poa trivia/is, holciis aveiiaceus, 

 and a small proportion of the agrostis stohnifera latifolia. 

 The quantity of seed per acre, must be regulated by the 

 state of the turf. Consolidating the surface with a heavy 

 roller would be of infinite service, but the turf is often dis- 

 placed by the operation. A light bush-harrow, therefore, 

 drawn over the surface to cover the seeds, or rather to draw 

 them into the interstices of the turfs, followed by a light 



