of Central Somerset. 23 



those months of the year when the young herbage appears very 

 luxuriant. 



5. The haymaking season on scouring pastures should be 

 delayed as long as is possible in practice, in order to give the 

 herbage a better chance of acquiring maturity. 



6. There are, however, many scouring pastures on which 

 neither drainage, nor any other available means will have any 

 material effect in bringing the herbage to an earlier and better 

 state of maturity ; and as the unripe condition of the herbage is 

 by far the most common proximate cause of the evil, the best 

 thing perhaps that can be done with such pastures is to plough 

 them up. 



Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, 

 Jan. 1862. 



[NoTE. I am of opinion, from what I have tried and observed 

 on the " tart " lands at Pylle, where, I regret, the Professor has 

 not made an inspection, that the plough is the true remedy, and 

 all " tart " lands should be converted into arable lands. The 

 clover-hay, the pasture on the clover-ley, and the roots fed by 

 sheep on such land have no scouring properties ; and, after a 

 fair trial of some bad s'couring lands, I have advised my tenant 

 to break up and cultivate several scouring fields, which will, as 

 I believe, be profitable instead of noxious land. PORTMAN.] 



London : Printed by W. CLOWES and SONS, Stamford Street, and Charing Croas. 



