Cultivation of Arable Land. Grafs-Seeds* Time and Method of Sowing. 34, 1 



proper Hate of preparation and tillage, if fown with oars, they will be apt to 

 become fo luxuriant as to greatly injure, if not wholly deftroy, the young grafs- 

 plants by the clofenefs of their (hade.* In fome cafes they, however, fuccced tole 

 rably with this fort of crop. On the ft ranger kinds of land thefowing of grafs- 

 Teeds, has been found to anfvver well with thin crops of beans. In an experiment 

 of this kind, Mr. Dalton found that the beans did not &quot; rob, but flickered and 

 .nouriftied,&quot; the grafs -plants, the plan anfwcring beyond his expectations. 



The importance of having the furface mould in a fine ftate in order to the more 

 regular distribution and more perfect vegetation of the grafs-fecds, has been already 

 noticed. But to effect thefe purpofes in the moft complete manner, the fcedfman 

 fhould be accuftomed to the bufmefs, and the feeds, as being of different weights, 

 as little mixed with each other as poffible. It is much better to have more cafts 

 than to blend the feeds together for the fake of difpatch. For all the finaller forts 

 of feeds, it has been fuggefted as preferable to deliver them by means of the Nor 

 folk turnip trough, which has lately been adapted to clover and ray grafs. t 

 This operation fhould always be performed as foon after the land has been plough 

 ed as poffible, as under fuch circumftances the feeds vegetate in a much more 

 quick and vigorous manner. But it fhould never be attempted in fuch a wet 

 ftate of the land as produces any great degree of tenacity or adhefivenefs in the 

 mould, as in fuch circumftances the feeds would be apt to come up in a tufty un 

 equal manner. Nor for the fame reafon fhould the lighter forts of grafs-feeds 

 ever be fovvn in windy weather; as the delivering them in an equal and regular 

 manner is a point ofconfequence to the forming of good grafs-land. In the co 

 vering in of the feeds, care mould be taken that none are left in an expofed ftate on 

 the furface of the ground, as when that is the cafe many of them will be deftroyed 

 or picked up by birds, and the fward appear patchy. This bufinefs is executed in 

 the moft complete manner by a pair of light ftiort-tined harrows at one tining. 

 The practice of employing bufli harrows is improper, as in that way the feeds are 

 liable to be drawn into lumps. In all the lighter and more fpongy defcriptionsof 

 land, it may be advantageous to pafs a light roller over the furface immediately af 

 ter the feeds have been well harrowed in. 



In cafes where the tenants and not the proprietors of the lands are to lay them 

 down to grafs, it may be the moft advifable practice for the latter to procure the 

 feeds ; but at the expence of the former ; efpecially where they have a fufficient 

 intereft in fuch lands, as, without this precaution, from their general propensity 



* Clofe JH Communications to the Board, &c. vol. III. $ Youog in Ibid. 



