CULTIVATION OF THE MEADOWS 143 



peasants. They are of immense importance, for the 

 successive crops of hay which they yield during the 

 summer furnish the greater portion of the fodder for 

 the cattle during the long winter months, and it is on 

 the cattle, or rather the cows, that the Swiss peasant 

 relies for subsistence almost exclusively. For this 

 reason the meadows are always very carefully tended. 

 A liberal coating of manure is applied to them usually 

 twice a year, and, where necessary, irrigation channels 

 are made to supply them with the maximum of 

 moisture. All these processes, including the cutting 

 with the scythe, have their bearing on the botany of 

 the meadow, as we shall see. 



From a botanical point of view, these Alpine 

 meadows are interesting in many ways. But it must 

 always be borne in mind, especially when comparing 

 the flowers of the pastures with those of the meadows, 

 that the former are natural gardens, whereas the 

 meadows are highly artificial. The periodic cutting 

 with the scythe, and coating of manure regularly 

 applied, help to induce a strong, dense growth of 

 vegetation, consisting not so much of members of the 

 Grass family as of various other Alpine plants. Con- 

 sequently, some species which cannot grow without 

 plenty of space, light, and air, are crowded out, and 

 exist only in the pastures. The constant manuring 

 of the soil, which adds to the amount of humus or 

 decayed vegetable material naturally present in the 

 soil, while favourable to the growth of some species, 

 is unsuited to others, for plants differ much in 



