On Grass Land. 401 



should not be less than from five to ten, on every square inch 

 ofthe surface; and every square foot should contain, from eight 

 to-twenty different species of the proper grasses, and ofclovers. 

 Such are the more essential points of difference that demand 

 attention, in comparing the details of culture ofthe permanent 

 pasture plants, and those of husbandry or farm crops in ge- 

 neral, which are of short continuance in the soil, chiefly for 

 one or two years only, and accordingly, unless ample and 

 accurate attention to those particulars be given, the success 

 will be incomplete. 



The chief properties which give value to a grass are, nutri- 

 tive or fattening powers, weight of produce, early growth, 

 reproductive powers, quick growth after being depastu- 

 red or mown, and the facilities it offers for propagation by 

 seed. If one species of grass could be discovered, that pos- 

 sessed all those properties, in a degree greatly superior to 

 every other, then the knowledge of distinguishing the diffe- 

 rent species of grasses from each other with certainty, 

 that of the nature of the soils and subsoils best adapted to 

 their growth, the comparative value and merits of the dif- 

 ferent species, with an accurate understanding of their na- 

 tural habits, including the time of ripening the seed, and the 

 properties of the seed, in reference to harvesting and culture 

 afterwards, might all be considered, rather matters of curio- 

 sity, than objects of utility, that require as much attention 

 from the farmer, as the details of the culture of the wheat 

 crop, or of the more essential green crops. But minute 

 and careful culture of each individual plant, that constitutes 

 any prominent part of the produce of the richest, and also 

 of the secondary natural pastures and meadows, has pro- 

 ved ( a89 ), that not one, or even several species of grasses, 

 possess all these properties in a superior degree, but that 

 they are dispersed among a great many, to the number of 

 from eight to twenty different species. Indeed, if one or two 

 species of grass, possessed all these properties, and could 

 equal the produce of any rich natural meadow, it would be a 

 subject for interesting inquiry, why nature, for the same 

 purpose, employs so many different sorts. 



Division ofthe Subject. 



The different particulars regarding grass, may be compre- 

 hended under the following heads : Upland pastures ; 

 grass lands of a medium quality; permanent pastures; 

 the proper management of rich grazing lands; that of 

 natural hay meadows, and the mode of converting their pro- 



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