420 Cultivation of Grafs Land. Application of Manure on Hay Lands. 



lix young ones, placed confiderably deeper in the ground than their common runs, 

 and as thefe netts are funk much deeper into the ground than their ftreets or by-roads, 

 and the mole-hills confcquently larger ; the earth on the fummit of thofe hills is 

 generally of a different colour, and is raifed higher than that of the others. Thefe 

 nefts are to be dug up, having firft intercepted the paflage between them and the 

 mole~hills in their vicinity to cut off the retreat of the inhabitants. The next 

 important circumftance is to difcover which are the frequented ftreets and which 

 the by-roads, for the purpofe of fetting fubterraneous traps ; this is effected by 

 making a mark on every new mole-hill by a light preflure of .the foot, and on the 

 morning by obferving whether a mole has again parted that way and obliterated 

 the foot-mark ; and this is to be done two or three fucceflive mornings. Thefe 

 foot-marks mould not be deeply impretted, left it mould alarm the animal on his 

 return, and he mould form a new branch of road, rather than open the obftructeci 

 one : the traps are then to be fet in the frequented ftreets, fo as nicely to fit the 

 divided Ccinal. They conftft of a hollow femicylinder of wood with grooved rings 

 at each end of it, in which are placed two noofes of horfe-hair, one at each end, 

 fattened loofely by a peg in the centre, and ftretched above ground by a bent ftick : 

 when the mole has patted halfway through one of the noofes and removed the central 

 peg in his progreflion, the bent ftick rifes by its elafticity and ftrangulates the 

 animal. As it was found that where the foil wastoojnoift or tenacious, the moles 

 in paffing the old runs fometimes puttied a little of it before them, and thus loofe- 

 ened the central peg before they were in the noofe, the peg in fuch cafes was fix 

 ed a little fatter in the middle of the trap.&quot; This method was purfucd with greae 

 fuccefs. 



It has beenobferved that by the ufe of thefward dretting machine mentionedabove 

 mofs is not only torn up, but ant and mole-hills levelled and deftroyed, and the 

 roots of grafs plants cut and horfe-hoed, which caufes them to throw out frefh la 

 teral ttioots or ftems ; by which the fward is thickened, and furface rendered fo clean 

 as to have the appearance of a perpetual fpring, when kept clofe fed down.* 



Manuring Hay Lands. In order topreferve meadow and hay lands in the moft fuit- 

 able condition for the production of plentiful crops of grafs, as well as to alter and 

 improve the nature of the herbage, the occafional application of manure becomes 

 neceflary ; as by this means the ftaple and depth of vegetable mould are not only 

 much increafed, but the land brought into fuch a ftate of fertility as that it may 



* Amos s Minutes in Agriculture. 



