IMPROVEMENT OF GRASS-LANDS. 155 



In order to obtain seeds of indigenous kinds which 

 are not to be had in the shops, it is common in Eu- 

 rope to have the seeds carefully gathered by chil- 

 dren, which, being sown on a well-prepared piece of 

 ground, and taken care of, will soon yield seeds for 

 far in -culture. It is easier to accommodate the plant 

 to the soil than to adapt the soil to the plant. 



In laying down lands to permanent meadow o> 

 pasture, it is all-important to have the soil perfectly 

 broken and pulverized ; as the future value of th& 

 crop will depend upon the perfect germination of the 

 seeds, and this cannot be expected without a thor- 

 ough pulverization and preparation of the soil. It 

 is also important to sow plenty of seed. The 

 ground, to be sure, will sustain and nourish only a 

 certain number of plants ; yet it is better to go to 

 an extra expense for seed than to have a deficiency 

 of plants. It is usual, in Britain, to sow from ten 

 to sixteen pecks of grass-seed to the acre on lands 

 intended for permanent grass, and from six to \ 

 dozen species. Another practice there, entitled to 

 our notice, in laying down lands permanently to 

 grass, is to sow grass-seeds exclusively, that is, un- 

 accompanied with any sort of grain. A good turf is 

 the main object ; and if grain is sown with the grass- 

 seeds, it robs the soil of much of the food which is 

 necessary to nurture the young grass, and perma- 

 nent value is thereby sacrificed to temporary and 

 comparatively trifling profit. 



The best time for sowing, for permanent grass-lands, 

 is said to be the early part of autumn, say in August 

 or the first of September, in order that the plants 

 may become well established before winter. Or, 

 the more hardy kinds may be sown then, and the ten- 

 derer kinds sown upon the same field in the spring, 

 as we sow clover upon the winter-grain. As the 

 seeds of grasses are generally small, the use of the 

 roller, to pulverize and press the earth upon them, 

 and to smooth the surface, is almost indispensable 



