Cultivation of Arable Land. Farrow. White Clover. 



land from which the hay was taken. They mould confequently never be indifcrinoi - 

 nately made life of in laying down lands to the (late of fward, as has been the r.cr&amp;gt; 

 common practice. The only way in which they can beufed with propriety is, by {&quot;elect 

 ing them from the bed gralTes on the fields after their being cut down, and afterwards 

 threfhing them out, as by this means the feeds of the bad and improper plants may 

 avoid being mixed and blended with thofe that are valuable and of the proper forts. 

 Another method has been advifed by an able practical cultivator, which is that of 

 taking them from fuch old pafture meadow, or marfh lands, as abound in graffes 

 of the beft kinds ; being careful that the foils from which they are taken be fimilar 

 to thofe on which they are to be fown ; and inftead of cutting them at the com 

 mon period of hay-time, to let them ftand till the yellow oat grafs begins to turn 

 its colour, which being one of the lateft kinds, all the others will have attained 

 perfection : they mould then be cut down, and afterwards thrcfhed out on a cloth 

 in the field, or fccured to be threfhed in the winter feafon.* But in this way, 

 with the greateft care, improper and ufelefs plants may often be propagated. 



There are other plants befides thefe that may be of great advantage in laying down 

 lands to grafs, by the large quantity of herbage they produce, fuch as the following : 



Yarrow, f- This is a plant that fends forth a great abundance of leaves, which 

 conftitute good herbage, and which are confumed with great avidity by cattle and 

 fheep ; but from the flower-ftems being fometimes rejected, it has been too much 

 neglected. It forms the principal herbage in many fine rich paftures, but where they 

 are kept clofely fed down is but little perceived.;}. It is predominant on moiftjoamy 

 foils, in nearly an equal degree as on thofe of the dry, burning, fandy, gravelly, 

 or chalky kinds. It is of much utility in refilling the effects of drought in the molt 

 dry, parched, clofe-fed lands ; often preferving the fpots where it prevails in a 

 green (late, while others are burnt up and become quite brown. It is faid to 

 anfvver well, when cultivated with a view to be fed by fheep. It is therefore a 

 plant of much value, and which deferves greater attention than has hitherto been 

 beftowed upon it. The feeds may be collected in October, without much diffi 

 culty, and at the rate of about five millings the bufhel.|| 



White Clover.^ This has been greatly depended upon by moft cultivators, in 

 bringing lands into a ftate of fward. It is an extremely ufeful plant on the more 

 rich and dry, fandy and loamy foils, as well as in the clayey and peaty defcriptions 



* Boys in Communications to the Board of Agriculture, vol. II f. 



t Achilltza Millefolium. + Anclerfori s Efiays. 



$ Young in Communications, &c. vol. Ill, || Ibid. 



$ Trifolium repcns. 

 VOL. II. U U 



