CHAP. in. PASTURE AND MEADOW, 805 



CHAPTER III. 

 ON PASTURE LAND. 



MUCH confusion has arisen, and points of controversy have been 

 needlessly multiplied, through the indiscriminate use of the 

 terms pasture and meadow. Such might be avoided by restricting the 

 term pasture to grass lands that are invariably grazed and never mown. 

 The term meadow might then be applied to grass lands that are 

 regularly mown, that is, to those which are periodically utilised as 

 hayfields. It is true that the latter, also, are usually grazed at some 

 period of the year, so that it would appear to be preferable to define as 

 pasture such grass land as is grazed but never mown, and to regard all 

 other kinds of grass land as meadow. The right thing is to look upon 

 grazing lands as pastures, and hayfields as meadows. 



The necessit}' of some distinction may be shown by an example. 

 Let two adjacent pieces of land, as closely similar in soil, situation, 

 aspect, previous treatment, &c., as is possible, be laid down to grass 

 with the same mixture of seeds ; further, let the one area be mown 

 every year, and let the other be grazed but never mown. It will be found 

 that the herbage on the two areas will come to differ markedly, both as 

 regards the species of plants and their relative abundance. Or, let 

 a field of grass, that has been constantly pastured and never mown, be 

 divided into two parts by a fence, and let the one part be henceforth 

 treated as a meadow that is, mown every year whilst the other part 

 continues to be grazed. In time, the herbage on the two portions, 

 hitherto identical, will come to differ widely. In the meadowed grass 

 land, such species as Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot) .and Holcus 

 lanatus (Yorkshire fog) become predominant ; in the pastured grass- 

 land, rye-grass, which recedes under the scythe, comes to the front 

 and takes up its position as one of the leading species in pastures. 



The excellence of pasture land depends greatly upon its situation, 

 and must be estimated with reference to the different classes of animals 

 for whose use it is intended. Thus uplands, or high hills, will only 

 suit stock of peculiar kinds, while lands of less elevation, though still 

 hilly, will be found profitable for feeding sheep ; and on those which 

 are still lower and more enclosed, neat cattle may be fattened to the 

 greatest advantage. It is generally found that the older pastures are 

 best calculated for the feeding of fattening stock, while the new leys 

 are more adapted for feeding young store cattle. It may also be added, 



