No. 8. 



On the benefit of laying Land to Grass. 



253 



On the benefit of laying land to grass. 



The great restorer to an exhausted soil, 

 and enabling it to bear productive crops of 

 grain, is rest ; by laying it down with the 

 artificial, or common grasses, for three or 

 more years, — then ploughing it up again for 

 a course of grain crops. The advantages 

 obtained by thus devoting arable land to 

 pasture, are incontestible, and are derived 

 from two causes; — first, that the grasses, 

 being in their nature somewhat distinct 

 from grain crops, the decomposition, or the 

 exercise of their affinities, and the required 

 proportions of the elements of vegetables, 

 must be equally as distinct. On instancing 

 any of the clovers, saintfoin, lucerne, &c, 

 we observe they send down their main roots 

 deep into the soil; therefore, acquire a large 

 share of their support from a stratum lower 

 than the generality of grain; nevertheless, 

 their side-roots, penetrating just under the 

 surface, collect those other necessary por- 

 tions of nourishment contained in the soil, 

 which they do with facility in the first in- 

 stance, because the land is fresh to their 

 efforts, by their exerting affinities, differing 

 from the roots of grain; but after a few 

 years, these grasses grow stale to the land, 

 and their efforts cease to be so successful as 

 when first exerted ; and from this cause, 

 produce less and less, according to the na- 

 ture of the plants. But in the same degree, 

 the land recovers its freshness for grain, 

 which, when again sown, yields with re- 

 doubled increase; but since some of the 

 grasses approach very near to the nature of 

 wheat, oats and barley, they cannot, on that 

 account, effect so great a change; therefore, 

 they yield a less favourable pasture for the 

 growth of wheat, oats and barley, than if 

 they were more opposite in their distinctive 

 qualities — the clovers for instance. 



The second cause of advantage is derived 

 from the turf, the dead leaves and decayed 

 stems; these latter, during the formation of 

 the turf, falling down among the living 

 stems and roots, create in time, by their de- 

 cay, a stratum of dark mould, from the car- 

 bon yielded by the decomposition of the 

 vegetable substnnces, and which decay is 

 promoted by the close shade of the growing 

 plants. Grass, whenever it takes root, be- 

 gins forming a mould beneath, of a vege- 

 table or decomposable nature; and therefore 

 must, from this circumstance, acquire a part 

 of its nourishment from the atmosphere; or 

 this collection could not be made, except 

 from what the plant may retain, of all dust 

 or soil fortuitously dropped, the excrement 

 of animals, &c, and with these, it establishes 

 itself stronger and stronger; and this mould 



gets more and more blended with the soil 

 by the rains, frosts, the workings of insects 

 and worms, &c, proportional to the time it 

 is suffered to remain unbroken up; but when 

 this is done and ploughed under, it forms a 

 rich coat of manure. 



These, then, are the two causes of benefit 

 arising from returning, for a period, arable 

 land to grass ; but it is necessary to observe, 

 that in so doing, and with a real view to 

 the improvement of the land, as well as to 

 its present and future profits, the previous 

 treatment must be taken into consideration, 

 as also the management it ought to receive 

 when in a state of pasture; because, if the 

 grasses are sown upon an exhausted, foul 

 soil, neither the immediate, nor the future 

 produce can be great. And even if the pro- 

 duce of the pasture — the result of a good 

 preparation — be carried oft" for green food, 

 hay or seed, and no manure brought back, 

 the grain crops will disappoint the expecta- 

 tions of the husbandman, whenever he re- 

 turns it to arable. It is the fact, that land 

 is like an animal fattening — the better and 

 more liberally it is treated, the heavier will 

 be the profit; and the husbandman should 

 bear in mind continually, that " out of no- 

 thing, something cannot come:" therefore, 

 if he is desirous of having large and profit- 

 able crops of corn or grain when his lays 

 are broken up, his plan ought to be, to sow 

 his grasses on a well cleaned soil, and feed 

 off the crops, or manure liberally, if the hay 

 or seed be more valuable to him when dis- 

 posed of elsewhere ; then his anticipations 

 will be as liberally rewarded, and of this, 

 he need never doubt. 



In some countries, the first step towards 

 breaking up old lays, especially when co- 

 vered with a coarse and harsh sod, is to 

 pare and burn the surface. To an inexperi- 

 enced observer, such proceeding will cer- 

 tainly appear rash, since he would naturally 

 say, the fire must destroy the greater portion 

 of the valuable vegetable materials that had 

 accumulated during the time the land was 

 under grass; but from the continuiil practice 

 of paring and burning with positive benefit, 

 it appears nearly certain, that there cannot 

 be the amount of loss which persons, on a 

 first inspection, might with justice suppose ; 

 or if there is, it is more than compensated 

 for, in another way. To be satisfied on this 

 point, the merits and particulars of the 

 paring and burning system, should be ex- 

 amined — thus, when a turf has become, by- 

 long lying, a favourable nursery for insects 

 and worms, scrubs, &c, which, on the break- 

 ing up again of the land, are ready to in- 

 vade the fruits of the husbandman's toil, by 

 instantly devouring what he may sow, when 



