410 On Grass Land. 



be met with, and a portion of it, both to raise early, and to 

 provide late food for stock, gives a great additional value to 

 the adjoining upland. 



In order that the reader, may be the better enabled to de- 

 termine a question so much controverted, we shall proceed 

 to give a concise description, of the nature and quality of 

 the several sorts of land, usually retained in the state of per- 

 manent pasture ; the conversion of which into tillage, has 

 been so much deprecated ; and also a short statement of the 

 advantages which such lands are supposed to possess. 



The lands considered as best adapted for permanent pas- 

 ture, are of three kinds : I: Strong tenacious clays, unfit for 

 turnips, or barley ; which are said to improve the more, the 

 longer they are kept under a judicious system in grass ( 3 8 ). 

 2, Soft clayey loams, with a clayey or marly bottom or sub- 

 stratum ( 3 9 ) ; and, 3. Rich sound deep-soiled land, or vale 

 land, enriched by nature at the expense of the higher grounds, 

 and generally lying in a situation favourable with respect to 

 climate ( 3I ). 



The advantages of such pastures are represented in the 

 strongest light. It is affirmed, that they feed cattle to a 

 greater weight; that they are not so easily scorched by 

 drought ;- that the grasses are more nutritive both for sheep 

 and cattle than ordinary pasture ; that milch cows fed up- 

 on them give richer milk, and more butter and cheese ; 

 that the hoofs of all animals pastured on them are much better 

 preserved ; that they produce a greater variety of grasses ; 

 that, when properly laid down, they yield a succession of 

 pasture throughout the whole season ; that the herbage is 

 sweeter, and more easily digested ; and that they return an 

 immense produce at a trifling expense. 



To break up lands possessing these advantages, it is said, 

 can only be justified by the most urgent public necessity, 

 and to prevent the horrors of famine. 



On these advantages, thus briefly enumerated, the follow- 

 ing observations are submitted to the reader's consideration. 



The superior weight, or extraordinary fatness of cattle, 

 does not seem to be either desirable, or attended with pro- 

 fit. Cattle of a medium size always feed better, and pay 

 better, than the very large or overgrown ; and when any spe- 

 cies of stock is brought to a fair marketable degree of fatness, 

 all further pampering is an improper waste of food. In 

 regard to old pastures not being affected by dry and warm 

 weather, nor the hoofs of cattle being injured by old turf, 

 these are circumstances of inferior moment, in particular as 



