54 HOW TO GROW GOOD GRASSES. 



and perhaps beside act as a solvent; so that their 

 fertility is wonderfully maintained. 



Many such wide stretches of meadow occur on the 

 banks of the Severn, as in the neighbourhood of 

 Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Worcester, &c, where they 

 get the name of Ham. It is much to be regretted 

 that these hams are not made the most of, for the 

 same reason as applies with respect to common, for 

 the want of some efficient officer to direct improve- 

 ments; and so from the water here and there stagnating 

 good herbage is ruined, and from the floods not being 

 controllable, even hay is lost with the summer freshets. 

 But where snch land is vested in single enterprising 

 proprietors, not only is drainage insured, but embank- 

 ments are made to keep out the waters when not 

 required, as so much met with on the banks of the 

 Thames ; and such fields are at once an evidence of 

 the capabilities of river flats, and the great importance 

 of individual enterprise. 



4. The last case approaches very nearly to that of 

 irrigated meadows ; but these latter are mostly situate 

 on small streams, which can be directed to flow 

 through, not over them, at any time : they offer a 

 most important means of augmenting our pasturage in 

 certain districts, and will therefore receive a chapter 

 to themselves. 



5. Permanent grass enclosures are of very varied 

 sizes, from hundreds of acres, forming perhaps a park, 

 to the small meadow of the homestead ; they may be 

 seldom or never used for haymaking, but most of 

 them are aimed up for hay once, twice, or thrice in 

 four or five years. These form the greater part of 

 the grass-lands of our country, and are indeed 

 nowhere greener or more productive than in the 



