GRASS. 



GRASS. 



inches thick, and 7, 8, or 9 inches wide, ac- ' 

 cording to the nature of the turf-gage of the 

 plough, and the width of the wing of the share : 

 it is sometimes cross cut into short lengths, 

 previous to the operation of paring ; but this I 

 can' only be effected when the turf is moist 

 and free from stones. The cross cutting is j 

 done by a scarifier, with cimeter tines, the | 

 convex edges made very sharp, and faced to 

 the work, and the implement heavily weighted, 

 so as to press the tines a proper depth into the 

 turf: but it is best in large flags. The turf is 

 then carried in broad-wheeled carts to the field, 

 at the rate of 50 cart-loads to an acre, placed 

 in heaps, and then chopped into small pieces 

 of about 3 inches square ; the ground is then 

 levelled with a scarifier, and the turf spread 

 with shovels over the field ; the pieces of turf 

 are then placed or planted by women and 

 children, and pressed into the soil by the foot 

 or a wooden rammer. One acre of turf di- 

 vided into pieces will plant 9 acres each 

 piece of turf standing 9 inches apart The 

 expense per acre of this mode of converting 

 arable land into pasture is as follows : say 



A. R. P. 



Extent of crass land clean paired of - - 1218 

 Extent of arable land transplanted with the 

 above 11015 



Expense, *. d. 



To ploughing or pairing 1 a.2r. 18 p., at 10s. 



per acre 16 1| 



To carriage of 600 loads of tuft, fifty days' 



work for one horse, at 3s. per day - 7 10 



To boys driving carts - - - - -0198 

 To scarifying 11 acres or 15 poles of ground 



when covered with tuft cut in pieces, at 



2s. fld. per acre 1 7 8J 



To labourers, at 30s. per acre - - - 1 12 9} 



Or 2Z. 9s. 2Jd. per acre. 



27 6 4 



A plan of improving old worn-out pasture 

 lands (by dibbling peas and vetches, with a 

 mixture of 18 pounds of Dutch clover, and 2 

 bushels per acre of Bay grass) is described by 

 Mr. Salter, Com. to Board ofdgr. vol. vi. p. 357. 

 On the advantages of deep ploughing, fallow- 

 ing, and liming land intended to be again laid 

 down to permanent pasture, with an experi- 

 ment on 17 acres at Jedburgh, there is a paper 

 by Mr. Bell, Quart. Journ. ofjlgr. vol. i. p. 570, 

 and another by Mr. Sinclair (ibid. p. 65). To 

 this gentleman's excellent work (Hort. Gram. 

 Wob.), I would especially commend my rea- 

 ders, as it abounds with information on the 

 grasses. There is also a paper on the eco- 

 nomical improvement of grass lands in Scot- 

 land (Quart. Journ. of Jlgr. vol. vii. p. 547) ; and 

 in all improvements of this kind, the use of the 

 sub-turf plough should not be forgotten by the 

 farmer. See IRRIGATION. 



In addition to the original article in the 

 English edition, we deem the subject of grasses 

 so important, and the knowledge of the subject 

 so limited in the United States, that we subjoin 

 the following information derived from the 

 best British authorities. 



English writers have divided hay grasses, 

 according to their duration, into two classes 

 the temporary and perm< 



The tall hay grasses of temporary duration, 

 regarded as most valuable, are 



The Annual or Perennial Rye-Grass (Lolium 

 574 



annua or perenne), see Plate of Tall Hay 

 Grasses, PI. 5, a ; Cock's-foot or Orchard Grass 

 (Dactylis glomerata'), 6; and Woolly Soft-Grass 

 (Holcus lanatus"), r. 



Where a crop of hay is desired within the 

 year, it is necessary to resort to such grasses 

 as are annuals in the strict sense of the word; 

 and none (says Loudon) can be better for this 

 purpose than the common oat (Jlvena sativa), 

 cut and made into hay when it comes into 

 flower. Next in order may be mentioned the 

 other cereal grasses, and the annual varieties 

 of Bromus ; the latter, however, are very 

 coarse grasses, though prolific in culm. 



The biennial rye-grass, a variety of the pe- 

 rennial Lolium, is almost universally sown 

 in England, either with or without clover, 

 among grain crops, with a view to one crop of 

 hay in the succeeding season. It attains a 

 greater height, and produces a longer, broader 

 spike of flowers than the perennial rye-grass, 

 and the produce in hay is considered greater 

 than that of any other annual grass, equally 

 palatable to cattle. It prefers a rich, loamy 

 soil, but will grow on any surface whatever, 

 except undecayed rock or bog. The perennial 

 rye-grass, which will be more fully described 

 hereafter, differs from the biennial variety in 

 being of somewhat smaller growth, and in con- 

 tinuing in the ground for several years; accord- 

 ing to the circumstances of soil and culture. 



The Cock's-foot Grass, or, as it is generally 

 called, in the United States, Orchard-Grass, 

 from its thriving well in moist shady places, and 

 especially orchards (PI. 5, 6), is an imperfect 

 perennial, and grows naturally on dry, sandy 

 soils. This grass may be recognised by its 

 coarse appearance, both of the leaf and spike, 

 and also by its whitish green hue. It grows 

 freely in most situations, is very hardy and 

 productive, but rough, harsh, and coarse, and 

 much improved by cultivation in open grounds. 

 Hence its name of rough cock's-foot. 



This grass is rather early in its growth, and 

 in many excellent old pastures it constitutes 

 one of the plants always found in the turf. It 

 vegetates much during the winter in England, 

 and when sown at the rate of 2 bushels an acre 

 with red clover, it has speedily formed a very 

 good sward. As a single plant to sow with 

 clover for hay, it is altogether unsuitable. On, 

 good lands it shoots up strong, coarse stalks, 

 too tall and few in number, and unfit for fod- 

 der ; and the hassocky tufted roots do not yield 

 at that season a quantity of leaves to be cut 

 for hay. But on inferior soils that are used 

 for pasturage for two or three, or more years, 

 in remote or high situations, it forms one of the 

 most valuable of grasses, shoots early, and af- 

 fords, from its tufted growth, an early bite for 

 sheep, and produces an abundance of sound* 

 healthy seed, which is easily gathered. The 

 general complaint of running up to coarse 

 stalks may be remedied by early and close 

 grazing, and when sown on poor lands along 

 with other perennials, it will produce the ear- 

 liest feed, and the most abundant herbage 

 during the season. It is much relished by all 

 kinds of live-stock, and especially sheep, the 

 quantity of which that can in England be kept 

 upon it summer and winter is quite surprising, 



