376 O F M E A D O W. Part HI. 



furface of the ground, arifes from the rich particles of the dting 

 being as it were filtrated through that furface, and carried down into 

 the earth, by rain or the melting of the fnow : but many of thofe 

 particles are undoubtedly loft, and never reach the roots of the 

 plants. 



• M. de Chateau-vieux, fenfible of this inconvenience, particularly 

 with refpedl to grafs grounds, rightly concluded, that the dung 

 would have a much greater effeft, if only juft the furface of the 

 meadow could be cut, and fome of the internal parts of the earth 

 laid open, fo that the enriching particles of the dung may more 

 immediately reach the roots of the grafs. 



He has fucceeded admirably in this important improvement, by 

 means of his three-coulter'd plough. In November, or December,, 

 the whole furface muft be cut with that plough into flips of three 

 inches breadth, which is the diftance between each of the coulters. 

 This will have two eftedls : firft, the coulters will tear up great part 

 of the mofs with which all old paftures are infed:ed, and gradually 

 deflroy it. Secondly, the coulters, piercing into the earth five or fix 

 inches deep, cut the extremities of many of the roots of the grafs, 

 and thofe cut or broken roots afterwards produce new ones, which 

 give frefh ftrength and vigor to the plants, and, as it were, renew 

 and make them young again. 



This divilion of the furface of the ground, will be very beneficial 

 to the meadows. If the following year proves wet, it will greatly 

 favour the produdlion of new roots. 



To render this improvement ftill more perfedl, as foon as the 

 whole furface of the meadow is cut, dung muft be carried on it, and 

 fpread as quickly after as poflible. The fmaller the dung is broken, 

 the more ufeful it will be : becaufe the fmall particles will be car- 

 ried by the rain into the traces which the plough has cut, and give 

 furprifing ftrength to the plants. 



This method of repairing and improving poor or worn out 

 jneadov/s and pafture grounds, does not require any great quantity 

 of dung : one load of it will go as far, in this praftice, as three 

 would in the common way ; and be much more beneficial to the 

 grafs. M. de Chateau-vieux has tried it for fome years, with all the 

 fuccefs he could defire. His grafs, thus improved, has always been 

 very thick and long, and has yielded him plentiful crops of hay^ 

 when fodder has been extremely fcarce every where eife. In his 



opinioa 



