On Grass Land. 407 



low, or turnips; 7. Wheat, or barley and grass-seeds. If 

 the sward be very tough and coarse^ instead of taking oats, 

 it may be pared and burnt for turnips. 



Sand. On rich and deep sandy soils, the most valuable 

 crop that can be raised is carrots. For inferior sands, tur- 

 nips, to be eaten on the ground, which is then to be laid 

 down with barley and grass-seeds. 



4. According to the improved system of laying down lands 

 to grass, land ought to be made as clean and fertile as pos- 

 sible. With that view, all the green crops raised, ought to 

 be consumed upon the ground ; fallow, or fallow crops, 

 ought not to be neglected, and the whole straw of the corn 

 crops, should be converted into manure, and applied to the 

 soil that produced it. Above all, the mixing of calcareous 

 matter with the soil, either previous to, or during the course 

 of cropping, is essential. Nothing generally improves mea- 

 dows or pastures more than lime or marl. Tbey sweeten 

 the herbage, render it more palatable to stock, and give it 

 more nourishing properties. 



5. When turnips are raised upon light land, sheep should 

 be folded on them ; whereas, if the land be strong or wet, 

 the crop should be drawn, and fed in some adjoining grass 

 field, or in sheds. If the land be in high condition, it is 

 customary to cart off half the turnips, and eat the other on 

 the ground. But this is not a plan to be recommended on 

 poor soils. 



6. It has been disputed, whether grass-seeds should be 

 sown with, or without corn, when permanent pasture is in- 

 tended. In favour of the first practice, that of uniting the 

 two crops, it is maintained, that where equal pains are taken, 

 the future crop of grass will succeed equally well, as if they 

 had been sown separately ; while the same tilth answers for 

 both ( 30 3). On the other hand it is observed, that as the 

 land must, in that case, be put into die best possible order, 

 there is a risk, that the corn crop will grow so luxuriantly, 

 as to overpower the grass, and, at any rate, may, in a great 

 measure, exclude it from the benefit of the air and tne dews ; 

 and where a deficiency of food exists in the soil, the annual 

 crop will leave none for the seedling permanent pasture 

 grasses. If the season also be wet, a corn crop is apt to lodge, 

 and the grass will, in a great measure, be destroyed. On 

 soils moderately fertile, the grasses have a better chance of 

 succeeding, or at least, in proportion to its richness, the 

 sward will be better than that on a poorer soil ; but then, it 

 is said, that the land is bo much exhausted by producing the 



