PERMANENT PASTURES. 515 



In some districts the custom prevails of mowing and grazing in alternate 

 years. In practice it is found that this has not much to recommend it : 

 and it is often an excuse for mowing land without properly manuring it. 

 Land that has long been mown yearly and well manured, puts up varieties 

 of grasses which grow up and ripen together about mowing time in Julv 



er than the grasses of an ordinary pasture will do. Nor will a field 

 rally mown irraze as evenly as a regular pasture. Many meadows 

 are specially adapted for the growth of grasses for mowing, either from 

 being capable of irrigation, or from being on a cool subsoil. When a 

 meadow is on a shallow though not on a dry subsoil, it will, although well 

 manured, fail to yield a good crop for hay in a hot, dry spring and 

 summer, the flower stalks pushing up without much bottom grass. And 

 such lands will generally be better grazed. 



In districts where there is a large proportion of arable land the mea- 

 dows are often in poor condition. The whole of the farm dung is used on 

 the plough land, and the meadows may be dressed with lime and soil, or 

 other weak composts. This is, however, not true economy. Where farm 

 dung cannot readily be spared, or where it would have to be hauled a 

 long distance, or over difficult roads, its place may be well supplied by 300 

 of bone manure. 



It is always best to secure an even crop of grass all over the land, the 

 cost of mowing and haymaking not being proportionately greater with a 

 full crop than with half a crop. By dressing all weak spots in a meadow 

 at the end of April, when they may be detected, with a light dressing of 

 nitrate this result may be obtained. Farm dung is best applied 



to the land either immediately after the hay is cleared, or in early autumn, 

 ly growth of aftergrass has been fed off. Ten or fifteen loads 



acre, equal to nearly as many tons, is a good dressing. It may also 

 be applied any time in the winter, but with generally an inferior result 

 than is reali/.ed from an earlier dressing. Tin- (Jung, after being spread 

 should I..- chain harrowed once or twice. If not got on before spring, and 

 a dry season come-, the erop will le injured rather than benefited by it. 



When- the mowing meadows lie in such a situation and form that they 

 can be readily i moated with water either of natural fert ili/.in^ Duality 

 or mixed with sewage, they may be beneficially i!.>..dcd in the winter and 



ng. The drain;i'_f fn.in the farm buildings and yards, when collected 

 in c and mixed with sullicient volume of water to flow when 



lied "If by irruvitation over a considerable area of land, will 



il, and will produce heavy crops of somewhat coarse grass. When 

 D of the bai: .ty ..f water, this cannot 



