Cultivation of Arable Land. Aftcr-managtmcnt of new Graft Lands. 345 



has happened in other cafes of old paftures being converted to hay lands, even 

 when the moft favourable feafon prevailed.* 



On thefe principles it may be a more judicious practice to manage lands de- 

 figned for hay without having them for any great length of time, previoufly to 

 their being mown, fed clofely down with flock, as in this way a larger produce of 

 hay may be afforded. 



Where the new lays are mown the firft year after being laid down, which is not 

 a method to be generally recommended, it is an excellent practice to apply a mo- 



** 



derate coat of manure over them in the autumn, efpccially when the itateof the 

 land and the feafon is fuch, in rcfpect to drynefs, as to admit of its being done 

 without injuring the furface fward 5 as by this means the graft-plants not only be 

 come more ftrong and vigorous, but better eftablifhed in the foil, and of courfc 

 bear cutting with much lefs injury. 



As it may fometimes happen, though it can be but feldom, where the methods 

 that have been detailed above are fully attended to, that the cultivator may fail 

 either in part or wholly of producing a good lay : in the firft cafe it is the beft 

 practice to have recourfe to fowing frefh feeds, which mould be performed in ths 

 early part of the fpring, when the weather is in a moift ftate, the feeds being advi-^ 

 fed by fome to be trodden in by putting fheep upon the land either indifcriminate- 

 ly, or by very open folding, as the ufe of the roller will not be effectual, and that 

 of harrowing cannot be practifed without injury. Doctor Wilkinfon has found 

 advantage from putting the feeds in before the manure was applied in the new- 

 lays, which are fometimes too haftily ploughed up. By either method the fward of 

 fuch lays may often be much thickened and improved. 



And in cafes where the grafles have runup much to flem, if the lands be fuffici- 

 ently flocked with plants, it may be an ufeful practice to cut them over by means of 

 a fharp fcythe before their feeds are formed, as by this means they will be more 

 ftrong and vigorous and the lands be kfs injured ; but in the contrary circumftan- 

 ces they are better left for the purpofe of providing a more abundant fupply of 

 young graffes, as the benefit obtained in this way will more than counterbalance 

 the injury fuftained by the old plants. 



Where there is a complete failure from particular caufes, the moft advifable 

 practice is, in cafes where the feeds have been put in in the fpring with grain crops, 

 to take off thefe crops as foon as they will admit of it ; and after giving the land 

 one ploughing, directly toharrow in frcfh feeds. The bufinefs fhould be accorrv 



Young ia ComrauDiwtioos to the Board of Agriculture, vol. III. t. Ibid. 



ii. y 



