Chap. XI. O F M E A D O W. 375 , 



ground : but when this is done, no cattle fhould be turned into the 

 meadows, till the furface is become firm enough to fupport their 

 weight without poaching the land ; for otherwife the grafs will fuffer 

 more by the treading of the cattle, than it will receive benefit by 

 the flowing. 



yWeeding of thefe meadows twice a year, viz. in April and Odlo- 

 ber, by cutting up the roots of docks and all other weeds, will be 

 another great improvement of them : and fo will, rolling them with 

 a heavy roller, in fpring and autumn. This laft operation will level 

 the furface of the ground, whereby it may be mown much clofer, 

 and will alfo fweeten the grafs. 



The fame care fhould be taken to weed and roll meadows which 

 cannot be flowed, and likewife not to fuifer heavy cattle to graze 

 upon them in winter when they are wet. They lliould therefore be 

 fed down in the autumn, before the heavy rains come on : and thofe 

 paftures which are drier, may be kept to fupply the want of thefe in. 

 winter. If there flaould not be cattle enough to eat down the grafs 

 in time, it will be much better to cut off what is left, than to fuffer 

 it to rot upon the ground 3 for that will hinder the grafs from flaoot- 

 ing early in the fpring. 



Thofe who are befl fkilled in this part of hufbandry, drefs their 

 meadows every other, or at leafl every third year, without which 

 no good crop of hay can be exped:ed : but the generality of far- 

 mers, following the old method, are fo much ditlreffed for dreffiing 

 to fupply their corn land, that they have not any to fpare for their 

 meadows. What dung they do ufe, is generally laid on in the be- 

 ginning of winter, and fpread as foon after as can conveniently be . 

 done : in which fituation it remains all the winter. When the 

 frofts are over, the dung is raked anew, and the clods in it are 

 broken. The grofs and ufelefs parts, which would only obflrudt 

 the growth of the grafs, are then carried off* : and if the dung is 

 not fufficiently rotted, they amount, fometimes, to almofl as many 

 load as were firft laid on. 



The advantage which plants receive from dung fpread upon the 



furface 



* This operation is indifpcnfably necellary, when dung is ufed which is not tho- 

 roughly rotten : becaufe the ftraw of fuch dung, mixing with the grafs, gives cattle,. 

 a.nd particularly horfes, a great diflike to it. For this reafon, careful farmers always, 

 letthe dung be well rotted, and reduced to a perfect mould before they lay it on their 

 meadows, oi", for want of fuch dung, they ufe afhes, pigeons dung, foot, lime, chalkj, 

 iharle, &t. 



