NATURE'S RULE. 185 



ing the turf of a rich old pasture, we shall find a large 

 number of different species growing together, while, if 

 we examine the turf of a field sown with only one or 

 two different species, we find a far less number of plants 

 to the square foot, even after the sod is fairly set. No 

 improvement in grass culture is more important, it 

 seems to me. I have suggested, in another place, a 

 large number of mixtures adapted to the different 

 varieties of soil and circumstance, together with the 

 reasons for the mixture in many instances. (See A 

 Practical Treatise on Grasses and Forage Plants, com- 

 prising their Natural History, Comparative Nutritive 

 Value, Methods of Cultivating, Cutting, and Curing, and 

 the Management of Grass Lands, &c. 236 pp. 8vo., with 

 illustrations.) As an instance of what I should consider 

 an improvement on our ordinary mixtures for permanent 

 pastures, I would suggest the following as likely to 

 give satisfactory results, dependent, of course, to a con- 

 siderable extent, on the nature and preparation of the 

 soil: 



Meadow Foxtail, flowering in May and June, .... 2 pounds 

 Orchard Grass, " " " " " .... 6 " 



Sweet-scented Vernal, 

 Meadow Fescue, 

 Redtop, 

 June Grass, 

 Italian Rye Grass, 

 Perennial Rye Grass, 

 Timothy, 



" April and May, . ... 1 " 



" May and June, .... 2 " 



" June and July, .... 2 " 



" May and June, .... 4 " 



" June, 4 " 



" June, 6 " 



" June and July, ... 3 lt 



Rough-stalked Meadow Grass, flowering in June and July, 2 ' 



Perennial Clover, flowering in June, 3 " 



White Clover, " May to September, . . 5-40" 



For mowing-lands the mixture would, of course, be 

 somewhat changed. The meadow foxtail and sweet- 

 scented vernal would be left out entirely, and some six 

 or eight pounds added to the Timothy and red clover. 

 16* 



