CH. xi] Meadows and Pastures 183* 



are to be recommended. The operations of cultivation are so- 

 much limited in the case of permanent grass land that the fore- 

 going should never be neglected. 



Pastures. The art of the grazier is one which is only mastered 

 by much experience. It is generally found that mixed grazing, 

 i.e. putting two or more kinds of stock on the same ground to- 

 gether serves to keep the turf more evenly eaten off than when 

 bullocks or sheep are used alone. This remark however only 

 applies to good grazing land ; upon poorer land the grass may only 

 be able to carry sheep. If strong and coarse growing plants tend! 

 to predominate, e.g. Cock's-foot, it is advisable to stock rather 

 heavily during the early part of the season. It is a point with 

 good graziers to keep the grasses well eaten down until the end of 

 June, after which little fear of seeding need be entertained. It 

 is also a good plan, based upon long practical experience, to keep 

 store cattle on the inferior or only moderately good pastures, and 

 as the animals become ready to fatten off to move them on to 

 better grazing land. When animals become heavy and less active 

 an abundance of food ready at hand is necessary to finish them 

 off rapidly and economically. Oilcake and other feeding stuffs 

 are generally more freely given at this stage than at any other. 

 Although the above is undoubtedly sound practice it is much more 

 exhaustive to the poorer grazing <s than to the better ones. It should 

 always be remembered that young growing animals and breeding 

 stock make far larger demands upon the soil for nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid, lime, etc. than do more mature and fattening animals. 

 The latter make comparatively small demands upon the soil since 

 their increase in weight consists largely of fat. Good grazing land 

 on which animals are fattened with the assistance of cake, etc. 

 will easily maintain its quality under judicious grazing alone. 



It is the poorer land and that which carries young stock con- 

 tinuously which stands most in need of the direct application of 

 manures. Generally the use of phosphatic manures proves the 

 most effective and economical since clovers are favoured and the 

 spread of these leads to a large addition of nitrogen to the soil. 

 Soils which are heavy and damp generally respond well to basic 

 slag only. Lighter and drier land, if containing sufficient free 

 lime, is better dressed with superphosphate and potash, and 



