CROPS. 285 



Some recommend as much as twenty pounds of each of the red, 

 white, and yellow clovers, with half that weight of rib grass, 

 and three bushels of rye grass, per acre. This, of course, in 

 volves a large expense. 



One of the most eminent farmers in the kingdom, whose fann 

 ing seemed to me to combine, in as high a degree as I have any 

 where seen, experience, intelligent observation, and practical 

 skill, Mr. Stirling, of . Glenbervie. Stirlingshire, gave me the sub 

 joined list and quantities, as his rule, where land was to be laid 

 down to permanent pasture : nine pounds of fox-tail ; two and 

 a half pounds of cock s-foot ; three and a half pounds of meadow 

 fescue ; four and a half pounds of hard fescue ; four and a half 

 Bounds of Italian rye grass ; three pounds of red clover ; four 

 pounds of yellow clover ; four pounds of white clover ; eight 

 pounds of timothy; two pounds of rib grass; one pound of 

 yarrow. He says that, after repeated trials, he has found this 

 mixture to answer better than any other. He sows red clover, 

 arid Italian rye grass, though shortlived grasses, for permanent 

 pasture, because, he says, it is too expensive to seed the land, for 

 the first year, with the perennial grasses, which sheep prefer, and 

 because, in consequence, it carries more stock, and he has better 

 pasture the following year. He is of opinion, that all grasses 

 grow better when red clover is sown among them. The Italian 

 eye grass gives the earliest bite, and helps to occupy the space, 

 which would otherwise be filled with daisies and other weeds. 

 He sows yellow clover, which is not, in general, a favorite grass, 

 because, upon trial, when he sowed a field of grass, one half 

 mixed with yellow clover and the other with white, the sheep 

 preferred that which was sown with yellow. For neat cattle, 

 he says, lie should recommend the perennial rye grass, in ad 

 dition : and he should, for inilch cows, omit the yarrow, as, in 

 excess, it imparts a disagreeable flavor to the butter. Mr. Stir 

 ling has made some valuable experiments in regard to the depth 

 at which grass seeds should be sown, the results of which I had 

 the pleasure to witness. The difference, in the same field, 

 where the grass seeds were scarcely covered, and where they 

 were harrowed in, was quite obvious, and decidedly against cov 

 ering them deeply. He says that &quot; a quarter of an inch is too 

 deep for the poa nemoralis, (wood-meadow grass,) and tim 

 othy, as they grow more freely when scarcely covered.&quot; He 



