47(&amp;gt; Cult real ion of Grafs Land. Sfoc&iag P&fturcs* 



fheep with neat cattle. The notion of deriving advantage from the mixing o 

 flock, from the circumftances of fome forts having a greater did ike to feed near their 

 own dung and lefs towards that of others, is probably not founded on juft obfer- 

 vation, as all animals have a fixed averfion. to both their o-wn and that ofother ani- 

 reals, and none of them will feed near either till compelled by the fcarcity of 

 food. This aversion does not, perhaps, depend wholly on the dung,. but is in fomc 

 ineafurc avoided in confequence of the grafs becoming ra.nk and coarfe about, fucb 

 places. 



As it is. a matter of importance to keep pafhrrea and grazing-grounds as even as. 

 pofllble, a proportion of ftock fitted to produce thi* purpofe fhould always be put 

 upon the lands* On the rich and more fertile kind*, where the grafs fprings quick 

 and in greater abundance, more flock will be necefFary to effect this purppfe than 

 where the contrary is the cafe. It has been found on the marm land in Lincoln- 

 fhire, that where the moft grafs is kft in the autumn the herbage is the coarfeft 

 and the worft in the fucceecHng. year. In the extenfive feeding tract of Romney 

 Marfh, the clofe feeding fyflem is alfo found to anfwer in the moft perfect man 

 ner.* Thefe fads fliow the neceffity of hard flocking on the richer defcriptions 

 of land. In other parts of the firft of the above diftri&s, on. turning upona full bite- 

 in the fpring they flock in fuch a manner fts to prevent the grafs from becoming 

 coarfe by running upto-frcrn. The neceflity of fvveeping over the rough tufty 

 parts by the fcythe is thus avoided,, except in very wet feafbns^-f 



It is a practical remark of a cautious obferver, on defcribing a field not 

 tbfficiently ftocked, that, on the marfh juft mentioned, the grazing farmers 

 would be ruined if they fufTered fo much grafs on their lands. t And it feems to 

 be a bad practice to allow the grafs in paftures to advance to fuch a ftate as to re 

 quire being fwept over by the fcythe, though it may be right to do it under fuch 

 drcumflanccs, in order to prevent the greater injury that might otherwife be 

 produced. 



It appears extremely probable, indeed, that by permitting the grafs plants to 

 run up to feed-ftems&amp;gt; the paftures may fuftain vaft injury, not only by the exhau- 

 tion of the foil that takes place during the efforts of die plants to form 

 and fill the feeds, but in confequence of their whole vegetative powers being di*. 

 rected to that purpofe, from their fending forth few or no leaves. This is extremely 



* Mr. Young in Lincolnshire Report. fBoys, in Annals of Agriculture, vol. XIX. J Ibid* 



