124 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES. 



the furrows. And, we repeat it, all this evil comes because we 

 will " cherisli hopes of harvest." 



'If some prophet or judge would free us from the slavery of 

 wheat-ijrowino;, as the children of Israel were freed from their 

 slavery by Othniel, then the future historian might write of 

 England, " And the land had rest forty years." ' 



The wide assumption that there is no alternative between 

 corn-growing and the laying down of land to permanent pasture 

 will not bear a moment's examination. The result of this fallacy 

 is fraught with mischief, and entails an enormous loss on the 

 farmers of this country every year. The alternate system offers 

 a remedy of proved value, the adoption of which will tend very 

 materially to turn a deficit into a favourable balance. Cocks- 

 foot, Timothy, Italian Eye Grass, and other strong-growing grasses 

 not only produce heavy crops of nutritious hay, but they smother 

 weeds and keep tlie land clean ; that is, supposing it to have 

 been in a reasonably clean condition when sown. The alternate 

 system will neither justify slovenly preparation nor foul seeding. 

 Those wlio sow rubbish will assuredly reap as they sow. The 

 seeds sold for leys sometimes consist largely of Goose Grass and 

 Yorksliire Fog with a liberal sprinkling of sorrel and docks. Let 

 no man who j)uts such a vile mixture into his land blame the 

 system I am advocating for the miserable results he may obtain. 



One Year's Ley. — For this purpose the varieties must ob- 

 viously be restricted to those which yield a large and immediate 

 return. Annual or Italian Eye Grass will form the basis of the 

 mixture, and an addition of Perennial Eye Grass will generally 

 be desirable, as also a very small quantity of Cocksfoot. For 

 grazing. Broad Clover is preferable to Cow Grass, and Wliite 

 Clover will also be a necessary constituent. But for hay, Alsike 

 should replace White Clover. Trefoil is a doubtful article ; upon 

 many soils it is indigenous, and in some few cases objectionable ; 

 but there are many instances where a proportion of it is not only 

 legitimate, but necessary. 



