438 On Grass Land. 



It is a great error, in laying down land to grass, to sow 

 an insufficient quantity of small seeds. In general, 12 or 

 14 Ibs. of clover is the usual average allowance ; but that 

 quantity ought greatly to be increased. In several-instances, 

 land has been laid down with ten pounds of red clover, ten 

 of white, and ten of trefoil, or 30 Ibs. in all of small seeds, 

 with the addition of three pecks of rye-grass, per statute 

 acre, and the herbage proved most abundant ( 389 ). This 

 seems to confirm the doctrine already laid down, respect- 

 ing the advantages of a liberal allowance of seed, when land 

 is laid down to grass, more especially for any length of time. 

 The plants, however abundant at first, will die oS\ to a pro- 

 per standard, as they become older. 



Another point to be strongly inculcated is, that land in- 

 tended to be converted from tillage to grass land, must 

 either be dry by nature, or be made so by art, before it is 

 possible to get a valuable crop of artificial grasses. All the 

 best sorts abhor a wet bottom when they are young, and 

 will not root deep enough in it, to bear the vicissitudes of 

 the seasons ; and not increasing by the roots as they ought 

 to do, will die, when they have perfected their seed, and 

 leave the land bare ( 39 ). If however, the soil has been 

 deepened by fallowing, and supplied with manure, the very 

 richest and best of grasses will grow well on such land, and 

 produce generally two, often three, and sometimes four tons 

 of good hay at first cutting, with a heavy aftermath. 



In laying down arable land into grass, broad and high 

 ridges were formerly not unusual. In this way, it was said, 

 that the surface was enlarged, and that there was a variety of 

 herbage, according to the diversity of soils and seasons. For 

 instance, if the season be moist, the ridges afford plenty of 

 sweet pasturage and dry ground for the pasturing stock to 

 rest upon ; whereas, in the dry year of 1783, it was remark- 

 ed, that while the ridges were burnt up with drought, the 

 furrows of lands of this description continued in full her- 

 bage. Such practices however, are no longer recommend- 

 ed, for it has been found, that the crowns or centres of the 

 ridges become too dry, and the furrows, and ground near 

 them, by far too wet, for the growth of either grain crops or 

 of grass. 



It is proper to observe, that in all cases, where the sub- 

 soil is retentive, every furrow should have its under-drain, 

 otherwise the herbage, especially in a wet season, will be of 

 a very inferior quality ( 391 ). 



The advantages to be derived from the alternate, or con- 



