44-S Cultrcatftii of Graft Land.Jl utered Meadows Advantages of. 



other lands. It is fuppofed to be an improvement that every farmer ought to 

 adopt and encourage, where foil, water, and lituation are favourable. 



A remarkable infkmce of the beneficial and fertilizing effects of watering was 

 obferved in the beginning of the autumn of 1796, when grafs that had not had 

 the advantages of water was nearly burnt up. A clofe of about twenty acres, 

 which had been irrigated, had a moft luxuriant after-grafs of from fix inches to a 

 foot deep. And a neighbouring inclofure of near forty acres afforded flip- 

 pert for three months to forty-fcven horfes and bullocks, all which throve very 

 well.* 



Another proof is mentioned of jfre great utility ofthefe meadows, in affording a 

 moft feafonable fupply of grafs to farmers at a time when they are moft diftreffed 

 for food for their flock. Forty acres employed in this way was found equal to the 

 ftipport of 500 Wiltfhire ewes and lambs from the middle of March to the iftof 

 May, or about fix weeks, and the improvement of the (lock in that time one fhil- 

 iJng a week, or three pound fifteen fhillings per acre. In fome parts of Middlefex 

 /ive pounds worth of hay might alfo be taken off the firft week in May.f 



On the whole, there can be little doubt of the great advantage of this method of 

 improving grafs lands in fituations where it can be conveniently made ufe of, and 

 that it is capable of being applied in a much more extenlive manner than has been 

 hitherto the cafe: by the operators properly availing themfelves of rhe occafional 

 falls of rivers and f mall ftreams, as well as of canals, in fome feafons,+ is not to be 

 difputcd, as by fuch- means water may often be diftributed over vaft tracts of land 

 that have never yet been thought capable of admitting of fuch a mode of fertili 

 sation ; and-, m others, by having recourfe to damming them up, and the occafional; 

 ufe of wooden pipes- in the conveying it, when neceffary, may be eafily raifed to 

 heights fufficient for conducting it over many more elevated lands, and thus pro 

 mote their vegetation and produce in an incalculable degreee. 



* Middle ton s Ilqiori of Middldex. -r* Ibid. 



. J Mr, Tt?ipl erj of S-tovcr in Devonshire, according to the Agricultural Survey of that diftricl, ex- 

 p^rience&amp;lt;l very coniuierable beneficial effects on a tr.icV ofmarfivy land on the borders of his canal 

 Uhad produced from five to ten flnllings an acre. After having it drained and levelled, by forming 

 ronduetors lor the overplus water of the canal during the winter floods, and distributing it by \vcli- 

 irrangea fluiccs, thrbwing the enriching particles upon th-e furface, he converted thefc mar/hej.into 

 .aluab o vpniant tii&amp;lt;-:i Uiv, s- 



