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LAYING DOWN LAND FOR PERMANENT PAS- 

 TURE. There is no operation in agricultural pursuits, 

 about which there is such a diversity of opinion as to the 

 best manner of converting tillage lane! into permanent pas- 

 ture. Some land is so naturally disposed to produce good 

 grass, that it ia not necessary to sow any seeds. A great 

 part of the finest pastures in Leicestershire became so with- 

 out any being sown, but the greater portion of soils, if left 

 to nature, would produce nothing but worthless kinds of 

 herbage. Different kinds of soil require different modes of 

 management to bring them sufficiently fine to receive the 

 grass seeds ; a great variety of which is necessary for all 

 soils, so that at all times of the year winter of course ex- 

 cepted there may be some of them in their greatest perfec- 

 tion. The late intelligent and much lobe regretted Sinclair, 

 in his publication, " Hortus Graminum Woburnensis,"says, 

 " The scented vernal grass, meadow fox-tuil, and smooth 

 meadow-grass, give the first nutritious bite in March and 

 April, others in summer, and the broad-leafed bent and 

 aftermath, or eddish of cock's foot, meadow fescue, and 

 others, the richest keep in autumn and winter." For con- 

 verting arable into pasture land, the former should be fairly 

 but not over-dunged, and the dung well incorporated with 

 the soil before the grass seeds are sown. Lime also should 

 be used. A top dressing of well-rotted and well-pulverized 

 manure should be laid on the young seeds to protect them 

 in winter. Common rye grass, or broad clover, should 

 never be sown for permanent pasture White clover, and 

 cow grass which it is most difficult to get genuine 

 should form a great portion of the seed sown ; an ope- 

 ration which should be performed in May, with a very light 

 sowing of barley or oats. If the land cannot be got quite 

 clean and ready so soon, the seeds are best sown without 

 corn. In such case, I recommend that the scythe be 

 skimmed over the young seeds in autumn, in preference 

 to having them eaten down by sheep, or letting them stand 

 to die down in winter. I have, within these few years, 

 turned into pasture several small closes of the hanging of 

 hills, at Thorpelands, in different ways : some, by sowing 

 the seeds of a very clean piece of good pasture the other, 

 with bought mixed seeds. All have done well, and now 



