248 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



sown after the mixture of larger seeds, as they require much less 

 covering. The separation of the larger from the smaller grass 

 seeds, when mixed, can be readily effected by a proper sieve. 



I have sown the seeds of the same grasses in every month of 

 the year, January excepted : and though much depends on the 

 weather and the state of the ground, the results were always 

 in favour of the month of September and the beginning of 

 August; and, next to that, the middle or latter end of May, 

 according as the weather was dry. The seeds vegetated, and 

 grew with most vigour under the following circumstances ; when 

 the ground had been deeply stirred, broken very fine, and made 

 perfectly smooth and compact on the surface with a heavy roller, 

 previous to sowing the seeds, the ground in a dry state, at the 

 time of sowing, the seeds sown on this fine, dry, compact sur- 

 face : the larger seeds not more than just covered, by drawing 

 a fine rake on the level surface, and afterwards sowing the small 

 seeds, and covering them no further than what was effected by a 

 repetition of the roller. The results further shewed, that, next to 

 a coarse, inconsolidated, or loose surface, the practice of deep 

 sowing was, in the second degree, more injurious to the vegeta- 

 tion of the seeds and the first progress of the plants, than any 

 other error that could be made in the manual part of the process 

 of sowing the natural grasses on a soil of good quality. 



When land is to be sown for permanent pasture, no admixture 

 of any annual or grain crop, or broad-leaved clover, should be 

 admitted with the grass seeds. Experience proves that they 

 are highly injurious to the intention of speedily forming a solid 

 productive sward ; and that the profit that may accrue from a 

 grain crop thus obtained, will be much overbalanced by the loss 

 of grass in the two following seasons. Every plant of these 

 annual crops occupies a place, to the detriment of the expected 

 sward ; besides rendering the surface porous by the decay of their 

 roots in the end of autumn, much mischief, likewise, is done to 

 the sward by portions of the crops being beat down with heavy 

 rains. The above mixture should be sown in the autumn or 

 spring, at the rate of four bushels and a half to the acre ; much 

 less will form a good pasture, but when the seeds can be had from 

 the farm at a moderate expense, the maximum quantity should 

 be adopted. If sown in spring, it will be found highly useful, in 

 the following autumn, to give the surface a slight top-dressing 

 with rotten dung or compost, in which the seeds or roots of weeds 



