Cultivation of Arable Land. Ray Grafs Ncic rarictlcs of. :&amp;gt;25 



Some of the varieties of this grafs, as thofe cultivared by Mr. I\-acry, arc faid 

 to be much fuperior to the common kind, by thofe who have h.id great experience 

 of them. 



Some cultivators fuppofe the reafon of its not producing a thick well-conneflcd 

 fward in fome fituations is, that it is only fuited to lands that are in a rich and 

 fertile condition, though it may be occafionally found in thofe of the contrary 

 kind. It is, indeed, well obferved by an intelligent writer, that Cf when land is in 

 a proper flate of manure, ray-grafs, united with white clover, will form a perfect 

 fward the latter end of the fecond year after it is fown. A particular field, of 

 about five acres, that was fown with thcfe two graffes only, was more perfectly 

 grafted over than others, which had the addition of trefoil and rib grafs, and which 

 were fown at the fame time. A neighbour of his, the only man in the country 

 that had tried ray-grafs, told him it would not anfwer, and referred him to a par 

 ticular field where fome had been fown. The fadl was, that he had cropped this 

 field with oats, until it was no longer worth ploughing; and then, with his lad 

 feed, he fowed ray grafs, which certainly did not flourifh. But his argument 

 would have been equally conclufive againft any grafs or grain whatever. The 

 ray-grafs languifhed, and, finally, died away, giving place to the vegetation fuited 

 to the flate of the land. If it be expected that ray-grafs, or any other good grafs:, 

 fhould thrive and produce abundant crops on exhaufted or poor land, it mull: not, 

 he fays, be in the foil which occurs here.* 



The following remarks of the fame author are deferving of the notice of the 

 cultivator : &quot; On converting ray-grafs into hay, it is neceffary, he fays, to cut 

 it at a period previous to its being fo ripe as to have perfected its feed, and 

 change to a yellow colour; for in this cafe a great part of the juices of the 

 plant, which conftitute a principal part of the nutriment it is to afford, will be 

 converted into a fpecies of ftraw, and its nutritive properties be proportionably 

 diminifhed. When it is made into hay, perfons not acquainted with its qualities 

 are apt to object to its apparent coarfenefs, which proceeds from its confiding 

 almoft entirely of flowering-ftems, the ray-grafs having a comparative fmaller pro^ 

 portion of leaves than any other grafs. Whether this be a defect or a merit, will, he 

 thinks, depend upon a folution of this queftion : Do the flems and flowering 

 parts of grafs, or the leaves, taken weight for weight, contain the greater propor 

 tion of nutriment ? It does not appear that this has been determined by experi-i 

 raents inftituted for the purpofe ; but it feems probable, from the ftems being fo 



* Campbell in Communications to the Board, &c. vol. I1L 



