Cultivation of Graft Land. Management of After-Graft Stocking of. 4G3 



The manner of feeding down after-grafs varies much in different diftricts : it 

 has been obferved by a farmer in Middlefcx, that the condition on which he rents 

 his farm, is that of taking out the heavy cattle at Michaelmas, but that fhecp re 

 main till February : in this county the practice is to turn on the cattle immedi 

 ately after mowing. But in the northern diftrids this grafs, to which they have 

 given the name of eddifh, is kept till November or even a later period for the 

 purpofe of finiming fat dock, or for the paftu rage of milch cows, from which a 

 fuperior quality of cheefe is made, and by which time it has attained aconfiderable 

 head: however, this latter practice would feem to be attended with fome lofs, from 

 its being trodden and trampled under foot, as may be readily perceived by examin 

 ing the field. 



In the docking of after-grafs, fome attention is necelfary not to have too great 

 a number of animals on a given proportion of land. To overdock produces injury 

 in various ways, efpecially on fird turning in, but particularly by too much treading 

 and beating down the grafs. Mr. Marfhall found the midland graziersof opinion, 

 that one cow to the acre on well grown after-grafs was an ample (lock. Good 

 grafs-land may, however, admit fomething more. 



In the padurage of rouen, or after-grafs, by heavy cattle in the autumn, great 

 injury has been complained of from their poaching the ground, particularly at a 

 late period in that or the winter feafon. On this account it has been recommen 

 ded to confine the confumption of this grafs principally to the fupport of fiicep, un- 

 lefs in very favourable feafons, or where the foil is uncommonly dry, in which cafes 

 milch cows or other heavy cattle may be admitted without inconvenience.! 



It is the practice in cafes where there is a great fcarcity of fpring feed to referve 

 after-grafs in the autumn for fpring ufe. Some on the balls of experience contend 

 that it is the moil certain, and, on the whole, the beft fpring feed yet known. This 

 would feem however to be a wafteful practice, at lead in refpect to the more forward 

 after-grades. The forwarded ought certainly to be eaten without wade, before winter 

 fets in ; and thclated, that is to fay the morted, may be mut up for fpring feed. If 

 after-grafs be too long and grofs, it is apt to lodge and rot upon the ground in 

 winter; therefore on rich lands, it mould always be more or lefs fed off before Mi 

 chaelmas, in order to prevent its being waded or lod in the winter. An expe 

 rienced agricultor found, from repeated expeiiments, that old after-grafs feeds 

 fheepthat give milk better than turnips, which are more adapted to the fattening 



i Marshall s Rural Economy of the Midland Counties. 



