&quot;^Cultivation of Arabic Land. Aj I cr- management vf new Grafs Lands. 3 7 



the grafles are often, efpecially on lands not well fuited to their growth, liable to 

 decline and become thin, in fome inftances it is fuppofed from the fown grades 

 difappearing before the fpontaneous ones have attained fu-fficient vigour and 

 ftrength,* but more generally, probably, from the grounds not having been in a 

 proper Mate of fertility or finenefs of furface mould at the time the feeds were put 

 in, or the particular unfavourablenefs of the feafon, about the clofe of the third 

 fummer after their being fown, it is believed to be a better pra6tice to defer the ufe 

 of manure till that time on fuch lays as are paftured ; and when they are undei- 

 the fey the, till the hay crop has been taken from the ground, f We have no 

 doubt of the fuccefs of the application of dung top-dreflings at thefe periods, 

 though they muft evidently be made ufe of in a lefs economical manner than at a 

 Liter feafon in the autumn, or an earlier one in the fpring. And it is the mod 

 common opinion that all the finer and more foluble kinds of top-dreffings are ap 

 plied with the greateft benefits in the very early fpring months, as about the latter 

 end of February, or the beginning of the following month. The differences in the 

 effects of thefe forts of manure have, perhaps, not yet been fully ascertained. 



In encouraging and fupporting the growth of the natural grafles when the fown 

 ones decline abeut the third year an experienced cultivator, J who feems to favour 

 the opinion of manure being the mofl ufefully laid on land early in the autumn, or 

 on hay lands immediately after the crops have been taken off, dates that he has 

 c&amp;lt; ufed coal afhes with great fuccefs, to the amount of three chaldrons per acre. 

 He has laid of this manure en grafs land above 50 chaldrons in a year. About 

 eight years ago he laid down a field of 12 acres with broad clover principally, 

 intending it to (land only for two years. In the fummer it was mown twice, next 

 year it was grazed ; the clover was but weak. As he had particular reafons for al 

 tering his mind, and for wifhing it to continue in grafs, he refolved to try the ef 

 fects of grazing it with fheep. On the fourth year it looked fo very bad, the 

 clover almoft difappearing, that he was tempted to plough it up. He, how 

 ever, refolved to continue the grazing, and to give it a drefling of three chaldrons 

 per acre of coal-afhes. The next year he obferved the white clover and natural 

 grafles beginning to form a clofcturf, and the field is now an excellent piece of 

 fward, without the aid of any hay-feeds.&quot; 



It would appear from the further trials of the fame intelligent agricultor, that 

 the following fubftances have much effect, not only in promoting the growth and 



* Wilkinfon in Communications to the Board, &c. vol. III. 

 ;t Young in Ibid. J Dr. Wilkinfon of Enfield. 



Yy 2 



