On Artificial Grasses* 55 



told that the gentlemen m that part of the country, 

 who keep such numbers of grey hounds, in order to 

 keep up the strength and swiftness of them, are obliged 

 to cross the breed with large dogs of other species, 

 generally the mastiff or bull, and then by carefully 

 breeding back, nearer and nearer, they gain the strength 

 and fleetness necessary for such sports, and mentioned 

 this as being the case with this brace of dogs. 



4. According to my observations, the omitting to 

 seed land with other grasses besides red clover, has ap- 

 peared to me, one of the greatest defects in the whole 

 system of agriculture in this country. The introduc- 

 tion of it in England, together with that of the turnip 

 husbandry, (and which I believe happened both about 

 the same time, that is, 40 or 50 years ago) has doubled 

 the average produce of England ; and though the use 

 of plaster and red clover, have added here so aston- 

 ishingly to the value and richness of the country, as to 

 make the average produce of grain, in many parts of 

 this state, nearly equal to the best farms in England, 

 yet for want of other grasses, to fill up the vacancy, as 

 the red clover runs out, there seems almost a constant 

 necessity of ploughing every third year, for if the 

 ground by ploughing and fallowing previously to seed- 

 ing, is put in such a fine tilth, as to destroy all the roots 

 and weeds, the clover the first year is very fine, the 

 second about one half freezes out, and the third, seven 

 eighths, this leaves such a vacancy, as to give room for 

 every weed so noxious to agriculture, blue bottle, gar- 

 lic, St. John's wort, and a whole host of foes to rise, as 

 to make an almost entire loss for two years, before the 

 native grasses can gain the ascendancy. Besides, ano- 



