404 On Grass Land. 



rape, potatoes, turnips, cole, or cabbages, will furnish, at 

 least thrice as much food, as the same acre would have done, 

 had it remained in pasture of a medium quality ; and con- 

 sequently, that the same extent of land would maintain, at 

 least as much stock as when in grass, besides producing, 

 every other year, a valuable crop of corn ; and this, inde- 

 pendently of the value of the straw, which, whether consum- 

 ed as food for cattle, or as litter, will add considerably to 

 the stock of manure. 



In discussing this subject, it is necessary to attend to the 

 following particulars: 1. Whether any previous steps are 

 necessary, before lanols in grass are broken up. 2. The 

 proper mode of effecting that object. 3. The course of 

 crops. 4. The manure necessary. 5. The system of ma- 

 nagement during the rotation. 6. The mode of laying 

 down the land again to grass. 7. That of sowing the grass- 

 seeds ; and, 8. The subsequent management. 



1. If the land be wet, it is advisable to drain it complete- 

 ly, previous to its being broken up ; for it is not improba- 

 ble, that its being kept in pasture, was partly on account of 

 its wetness. 



Land that has been long in pasture, does not require dung, 

 during the first course of crops that is taken after being 

 broken up ; but the application of calcareous manure, or 

 caustic lime, in such cases, is always expedient. Sometimes, 

 lime is spread on the ground, before it is ploughed ; at other 

 times, when it is either under summer fallow, or a drilled 

 crop of turnips. Marl and chalk also, have been used for 

 the same purpose, with great advantage. The land thence 

 derives additional strength and vigour ; the succeeding 

 crops are much improved ; the soil is commonly so sof- 

 tened in its texture, that it may be ploughed with much less 

 strength than would otherwise be necessary ; and wherever 

 it is restored to grass, the herbage is abundant ( a96 ). 



2. Wherever the soil is not too shallow, nor of a friable 

 nature, or when the turf cannot soon be rotted, if land is to 

 be broken up from old pasture, paring and burning is the 

 proper system to be adopted. However much the loss of 

 the vegetable matter accumulated on the surface, and the 

 substances which it contains, are to be regretted, there is no 

 other means, by which good tilth is speedily procured ; 

 the damage that might otherwise be sustained by the grub, 

 the wire-worm, and other insects, is prevented ; while the 

 soil receives a stimulus, which insures an abundant crop. 



Where paring and burning, from any circumstance, can- 



