On Grass Land. 423 



making any allowance, for the charges incurred by summer 

 fallowing the arable land, on which the turf has been trans- 

 planted ; nor for the year's rent, poor's rates, and taxes for 

 that year ; nor for restoring the land, whence the turf plants 

 were taken, to its previous state ( U7 ). 



This plan seems to be well calculated to promote the im- 

 provement of light soils, not naturally of a grassy nature, for 

 the grasses and their roots, being once formed on a rich soil, 

 will probably thrive afterwards even on a poor one, as they 

 will derive a considerable proportion of their nourishment 

 from the atmosphere. For light and gravelly soils therefore, 

 where permanent pasture is desirable, the plan cannot be too 

 strongly recommended ; and if it were found to answer on 

 peat, after the surface was pared for the reception of the 

 plants, and burnt to promote their growth, it would be a most 

 valuable acquisition to sheep farmers in many districts of the 

 country. 



9. Cultivated Grasses. 



The advantages which have been derived from the intro- 

 duction of cultivated grasses, cannot be too highly appre- 

 ciated. Amidst the variety of natural produce, there must 

 be many plants of an inferior quality, which are rejected by 

 horses, cattle, and sheep. Old turf, on that account, is 

 seldom eaten so bare, as a field where a few selected plants, 

 known to be grateful, salubrious, and nourishing to stock, 

 are alone cultivated. Natural meadow also, often contains 

 plants with narcotic and poisonous qualities, by which cattle 

 suffer much injury. Animals in a wild state, discover, by 

 the smell, when plants are noxious ; but stock, when do- 

 mesticated, pay less attention to the information furnished 

 by this sense ; and they are often driven by hunger, to eat 

 plants, which they would otherwise have rejected. 



The cultivated grasses to be here treated of, are, 1. Red 

 clover; 2. White clover; 3. Crimson clover; 4. Sainfoin; 

 5. Lucern ; and, 6. Some miscellaneous articles, as yellow 

 clover, rye-grass, &c. '.^vi 



Red Clover. 



This variety of grass is peculiarly profitable to the farmer, 

 from the greatness of its produce, and the improvement 

 which it occasions to the soil. Land exhausted by corn, 

 and not accustomed to clover, is always restored to fertility, 



