148 COMMON WEEDS 



rapid than in the last case, and the leguminous plants 

 attained a rather larger proportion. 



The practical conclusions drawn from the results of 

 the Rothamsted experiments are given by Mr. Hall as 

 follows : 



" i. It is better to lay up the same land for hay each 

 year, grazing the aftermath only, and, in the same way, 

 always to graze other land rather than graze and hay 

 in alternate years. In this way we obtain the fullest 

 development of those grasses and clovers which are 

 suited to haying and grazing respectively. 



" 2. For the same reason the system of manuring 

 once adopted should be varied as little as possible, for 

 even manures as similar as nitrate of soda and sulphate 

 of ammonia encourage different kinds of grasses. 



" 3. On poor land any large expenditure on manures 

 will be wasted. The character of the herbage must be 

 slowly reformed. A full manuring is only utilised 

 when there are plenty of strong and vigorous grasses 

 or clovers among the vegetation. 



" 4. Land which is growing hay requires a manure 

 which is mainly nitrogenous, whilst pasture requires a 

 mineral manuring. 



"5. On strong loams with a good mixed herbage 

 a dressing of 10 to 15 tons of farmyard manure should 

 be given every fifth year. In the other years a winter 

 manuring (January or February) of 2 cwt. per acre of 

 superphosphate (basic slag on strong clay soils), and 

 3 cwt. of kainit, with ij cwt. of nitrate of soda when 

 the grass begins to grow, will be remunerative. 



" 6. On light dry soils, either sandy or chalky, the 

 nitrogenous manures are the most important. Dung 

 and cake feeding the aftermath will best build up a 

 vigorous herbage, and until this is done it will not be 

 wise to spend much money on artificial manures ; 



