Cultivation of the Grasses. 147 



of August. The furrows were rolled down eveuly and subsequent- 

 ly, a top dressing of compost manure was applied, after whicL, 

 turnips and grass seed were harrowed in. The turnips came up 

 well and gave a large yield. The grass seed also flourished be- 

 yond expectation, and last year, delighted the owner with a lux- 

 uriant crop of red-top and timothy. This success is doubtless at- 

 tributable to the propitious season. In an unfavorable year the 

 experiment would in all i)robability, bean utter failure, still I con- 

 sider it a good plan, to get an old meadow freshly seeded where a 

 course of other crops is not required. 



The best varieties of grass for lawns, are Kentucky blue grass, 

 red-top, timothy, white clover, and sweet scented grass. In locali- 

 ties occupied by trees, and the ground is much shaded, a proportion 

 of orchard grass may be added. In the Oct. issue of the Review, 

 I gave the formula of operations for creating a tight, smooth 

 sward for the lawn and I therefore may be excused from repeating 

 it here. 



Pasture laxds, for feeding stock are quite heterogenous in their 

 character. The ordinary mountain lands are and should be kept 

 in permanent grass. Such lands, generally afford a rich growth 

 of natural grass which, when fed down by sheep and cattle, may 

 remain undisturbed by the plough for an infinite period ; all the 

 attention the land requires is an occasional clearing up of shrub- 

 ber}', and the application of a top dressing of some specific fertil- 

 izer ; this, with the excrement of the grazing herds, will be ample 

 stimulus, to keep up undiminished vigor. 



Open wood lands are often turned to profitable account, as be- 

 sides affording provender for ruminating animals, they also give 

 shelter, in stormy weather, or the intolerant heat of midsummer. 



Such pasture lands as present no obstructions to the progress 

 of a plough, should be brought into a course of crops, and so kept 

 in a fertile condition, when a large amount of grass may be ob- 

 tained from a comparatively small quantity of ground. 



IlAYiUKixG. Much has been said, written and reiterated about 

 the proper time for cutting hay in order, to retain, all the nourish- 

 ing juices. Most farmers concur in saying that the right time is 

 after the grass, has attained maturity on the ground, just previous 

 to that dryness which causes the seed to shell out. 



For timothy, the time of cutting is at hand (in my opinion) when 

 the blossoms commence drooping from decay. 



