308 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



"This suggests that, when the turf -of an old land hayfield be- 

 comes matted, it should be grazed for one year (or two if necessary) 

 with cattle* and that these should be heavily caked, which will, 

 by the heavier stock kept, tread down the turf more thoroughly and 

 so allow much finer hay being produced in future years. Dung 

 gives excellent results on light sandy soils but is not profitable if 

 applied to peaty soils, nor is it likely to be so on heavy clay soils. 

 This manure develops coarse herbage and usually increases the 

 weeds. To sum up, on soils in poor condition an initial dressing 

 of y 2 ton of slag, with, on the lighter soils, the addition of 2 cwt. 

 muriate of potash or about 6 cwt. kainit, is likely to be useful. If, 

 however, dung has been used on the lighter soils, the potash manure 

 may not be necessary. For the after treatment of these soils, and 

 for the general treatment of soils in better condition, the application 

 of about 5 cwt. basic slag every three years (with the addition of 1 

 cwt. muriate of potash for light soils) is likely to be a good plan 

 of manuring per acre for old land hay. On the lighter class of 

 soils, 10 tons dung in addition at lengthy intervals should give ex- 

 cellent results, in which case the potash manure may be reduced. On 

 soils rich in lime, superphosphate may be preferable to basic slag. 

 If no dung is used, about 3 cwt. of fishmeal, or other manure con- 

 taining organic nitrogen, applied every three years, is likely to be a 

 useful addition. The excellent results already obtained on a pasture 

 field by feeding Bombay cotton cake, or other cake, on poor pasture 

 which has already been improved by basic slag, indicates that the 

 best nitrogenous dressing for old land hay is to graze it for one or 

 two years and to feed cake to the stock. Basic slag and the potash 

 manures will give the best effects if applied early in the winter. The 

 distribution of all the manures must be perfect and they should be 

 well harrowed in, especially if the herbage is at all coarse and benty. 

 The improvement of large areas of poor clay pasture in the north 

 of England can be commenced by a dressing of 7 to 10 cwt. an acre 

 of basic slag, followed up by the regular feeding of cake to the graz- 

 ing stock. It is desirable that tufty pasture should be mown before 

 applying the slag. The lighter soils in pasture lying on the sand- 



* Sheep and especially horses are not good for this purpose. 



The aftermath of an old land hay crop should always be eaten 

 down and it is an excellent practice to feed cake to the cattle while 

 doing so. On old pasture, which has become very coarse with the 

 growth of plants like heather, this heavy treading is essential. 



