farmers' miscellany. 27& 



weeks together. Therefore land which produces abundant crops 

 of grass would require extensive draining for grain, and seeing 

 that ploughing such land destroys its life it is far better to keep it 

 in grass continually. 



I now come to treat of top-dressing meadow land with manure^ 

 lo promote the growth of grass. 



Where hay is much of an object of culture, and manure can be 

 had, it possesses the following advantages over the clover culture, 

 in renewing the crop : 



1st. The crop can be kept more uniform in amount by manuring 

 whilst it is still fair, and before it runs out to blue grass, which 

 gtncrally precedes the change to clover — for, in the clover culture^ 

 one or two middling crops must be expected in a round of from 

 three to six years. 



2d. If the hay is destined for market, clover is not as saleable 

 IS other grass, and it can be kept in a minority by pasturing the 

 iioadows close after mowing, and top-dressing with manure. 



3d. Heavier crops can be obtained by top-dressing than by any 



other system of management, the clover system seldom giving over 



jtwo tons of hay to the acre, at one cutting — new seeding with timo- 



ithy, three tons — when top-dressing gives three tons and upwards. 



Three and a half tons to the acre, obtained by top-dressing, will 



stand up as well as two tons of timothy newly seeded, being so 



much thicker at the bottom, and growing so many more kinds of 



nuss. I have obtained three and a half tons to the acre in a good 



peason, by spreading ten two-horse wagon loads of fresh livery 



ktable manure to the acre, in February, on a stubble principally 



timothy the year before, when a portion of the meadow not dressed 



lave but two tons. I have spread fifteen loads of manure to the 



icre on poor, wet, heavy, meadow land, in the fall, where about 



half a ton of white daisy grew to the acre. The next year the 



rop was about one and a half tons of daisy and other grass, par- 

 ,iicularly red clover ; the year following timothy began to getpos- 

 isession — crop about the same in weight. In the fall I put on 

 ibout ten loads more to the acre, of swamp manure, that had laid 

 Dne year in the hog pen ; the result was full three and a half tons 

 of hay to the acre of timothy, and some white daisy of equal heighty 

 jind very tall. The next year there was a very heavy growth of 

 ' timothy without daisy, which w-as now mastered and killed. Two 



