MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS. 349 



tening cattle; and, under the second, such as are only adapted 

 to rearing them, or are more advantageously depastured with 

 sheep. LOUDON. Feeding pastures embrace such lands as 

 are suitable for hay, and that may, at pleasure, be converted to 

 arable husbandry. Upland or hilly pastures, include such 

 elevations as are kept constantly in pasture, although they may 

 be brought into tillage as well as those that are inaccessible to 

 the plough. These lands generally produce a short sweet 

 herbage, and are commonly better adapted to sheep than large 

 cattle. Meadow lands are both natural and artificial natu- 

 rally moist or rendered so by irrigation. All mowing lands 

 are, properly speaking, meadows; but when we speak of these 

 in general, the impression is, that reference is had to low moist 

 grounds, which, in their natural state, are adapted to the pro- 

 duction of grass. Of meadows, there are three descriptions, 

 river, upland and bog. 



In the management of permanent pastures, weeding must 

 not be neglected. Weeds are the manifest enemies of the far- 

 mer, they injure him in many ways. It is not unfrequently 

 the case that they impair the health of his cattle, impart a dis- 

 agreeable quality to the milk, and the butter made under such 

 circumstances, if intended for market, meets generally with a 

 tardy sale and an indifferent price. No good farmer, who 

 properly appreciates the importance of the subject, will permit 

 a weed to ripen and disperse its seed over his fields. A man 

 who will permit noxious weeds to grow upon his farm, and 

 mature their seeds, not only injures himself, but wrongs his 

 neighbour, who may be a clean and thrifty husbandman, but 

 whose fields are overrun with noxious plants by the unjustifi- 

 able carelessness of his neighbour. This is a subject worthy 

 of the serious consideration of any farmer, and is mentioned 

 incidentally here, on account of its importance. 



To prevent the growth of moss in feeding or pasture lands, 

 is a very nice point of practice. Harrowing and cross harrow- 

 ing with tines which penetrate the earth about an inch, a 

 sprinkling of grass seeds immediately after the operation of 

 harrowing, followed by a top dressing of lime or compost, well 

 prepared, are recommended as the most likely means to extir- 

 pate the moss and benefit the pasture. Ant and mole hills, if 

 they appear, should be immediately removed, the latter may 

 be spread over the ground. 



Upland or hilly, sometimes called mountainous pastures, 

 afford, in many cases, a very rich and sweet herbage, though 

 not in profusion. Of late, systematic farmers have in many 

 instances, greatly improved these pastures by drawing surface 

 drains diagonally across the face of the hills wherever injurious 



