Vetithaikn of Arulle, Land. Af4vr~man&amp;lt;i*cmctil of aw frr .//&amp;gt; Lands, .04,:? 



ing by fome fort of Hock is a much better practice than thofe of ckhcr mowing or 

 feeding ; thcchicfdifficulty is in rcfpccl to the fort of Heck that is the mo ft proper. 

 On the more dry and firm forts of ground a mixed Hock may be the mod advatv- 

 tageous, as neat cattle and fheep, as in that way the new pafture may be f d dowii 

 in the mod regular manner ; but on thofe that are of a more open, porous, ami 

 Jefs firm quality, fhcep, by their eating fo clofdy, may do much harm, cfpecially 

 in the firft years of the new lay, by pulling up the youngand imperfectly eftablifhexl 

 grafs-plants. Several inftanccs ofthis kind we have noticed in fuch foils. In lands 

 that are more inclined to moifturc, the con fuming ofthe produce by neat cattle 

 muft conftantly be liable to do mifchief, except in very dry feafons ; they mufl of 

 courfe be principally fed down by fheep. And in all cafes where the new lay is chief! v y 

 conftituted of the morecoarfe forts of graffes, fhecp would feem to be the moil oro^ 

 per kind of (lock, as the graflesare thereby conflantly becoming more fine and Aveer. 

 Many facts of this nature have been noticed by cultivators. The fwectr.cfs of the 

 paflurage on many fheep downs has been remarked to depend more on their being 

 krpt clofe fed down than any other circumftance, as on being neglected in this re- 

 fpect it becomes coarfe, and is rejected.* It has been well obferved, indeed, that; 

 &amp;lt;f fheep-feeding not only ameliorates by enriching the foil, and fining the herbage, 

 but alfoby destroying weeds. &quot;f We have been affured by a very extenfive and 

 experienced cultivator in Somerfetfhire, that under this fort of management, not 

 only many coarfe grafTes but other forts of plants become fine, and eargely fed 

 upon by animals. 



Doctor Wilkinfon, who has been much in the habit of comparing different prac 

 tices, advifcs the grazing conftantly with fheep, and for the firfl fix years never t 

 permit the fcythe to touch the lays. And the Reverend Mr. Young has well obfer 

 ved, that it is not merely the firft year that feeding with fheep is the beft pradice 

 on new lays, but it may be fo managed the fecond, and if it extend to the third it is 

 the better : and though there is not any neceffity for adhering to it any longer, k 

 has been found to anfwer well in his practice, four, five, or even fix years ; and in 

 general he thinks it may be concluded, that the more the land is fed with fheep, the 

 greater the improvement will be. But in this management the improverifhing ab- 

 furd fyftem of removing the animals to be folded in other places, is not to be 

 had recourfe to. 



It has been long the practice in many diftricls with the moft improved cultivators* 



Agricultural Reports of Wiltfhire and Stirlingfhire. 

 i Young in Communication* to the Board) Ice. -vol. IIL 



