BRITISH TURF. 551 



soil which the principal training grounds of the 

 south of England become in summer and autumn, 

 are too well known to require further explana- 

 tion. 



We are, however, happy in being able to state 

 that a remedy has been found which, to a great 

 extent, if not completely, remedies this evil, and 

 which has the advantage of being both cheaply and 

 easily obtained. The material we allude to is 

 common tan, which may be obtained from the 

 tanner's yard, sometimes for the trouble of carting, 

 but always for a few shillings a load, and which, 

 having been exposed for a few days to the action 

 of the sun and air, should be spread over the turf, 

 which should be afterwards rolled. 



The original proprietor of the Hippodrome was 

 the first who perceived and availed himself of the 

 advantage of this dressing, having used it with the 

 most complete success on his race-course at Not- 

 ting Hill, the soil of which consists of clay which 

 is baked excessively hard, and subject to crack in 

 warm weather. It appears that when he first con- 

 templated using tan, every person to whom he 

 mentioned his intention, endeavoured to dissuade 

 him, particularly the farmer to whom he had let 

 the grazing of the Hippodrome ; the objection 

 urged being, that it would '* entirely destroy the 

 grass." He, therefore, tried it on a small scale 

 before venturing further. 



His first experiments proving that this objection 



