THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 381 



worthy our attention to look into the best method 

 of enriching the earth for meadow and pasture. This 

 is done in two ways, viz., by watering and manuring 

 it, and for this use, the lower the ground lies, so it be 

 not subject to overflowings or too much wet, the better 

 it is, and the sooner made good. Consider in the next 

 place, what kind of grass it naturally produces, 

 whether clear and entire, or mixed with that of worse 

 growth ; the first is the best ; but if it be of the worse 

 sort, intermixed with thistles, broom, and offensive 

 weeds, then grub and pluck them up by the roots, 

 clearing the ground of them as well as you can ; then 

 dry them, mix them with straw and burn them with 

 the swarth of the ground, and spread the ashes upon 

 it ; then fold your sheep upon the ground for several 

 nights, that their dung may increase its strength, and 

 their feet trample up the grass ; then scatter it over 

 with good hay-seeds, and go over them with a good 

 roller, or beat them with a flat shovel, that they may 

 be the better pressed into the ground to take root ; 

 then over these scatter hay or the rotting of hay un- 

 der stacks, or the sweepings of the barn, or moist bot- 

 toms of any hay that has been good and is moist and 

 of no other use ; then spread on your manure, or 

 horse-dung, man's ordure, or the dung of any beast, 

 which, being thinned, and the clods well broken, let it 

 lie till the new grass springs through it ; but do not 

 graze it the first year, lest the cattle tread it up, not 

 having yet taken very good root ; but mow it, that it 

 may have time to come to perfection. And though 

 the first year it may prove short and coarse, yet the 

 second it will be fine and very long, and in great 

 plenty ; and dressing it thus but once in fifteen oi 

 twenty years, will continue it for good meadow and 

 pasture, especially if in dry seasons you have water to 



