FIBROUS COVERING. 229 



win-re (iurneyism had hem used, and only from four to five 

 ru't. where it had not. In many cases the grass was so slight 

 on the parts of the fields not covered that it could with difficulty 

 le mowed, and in some cases was considered not worth cut- 

 ting at all. The question of quantity is indeed settled. The 

 in \i question, vi/. : its comparative goodness, seems also de- 

 termined. Mr. Gurney at former meetings gave it as hi 

 opinion that the quality was not inferior to that of other grass ; 

 this opinion, he said, was founded on botanical observation 

 and rareful chemical analysis ; hut he at the same time justly 

 remarked that nothing positive could he known without expe- 

 riment on cattle. In all cases, cattle eat this grass as readily 

 as they do that of ordinary production, and appear to do as 

 well on it. It has moreover been observed that the milk and 

 cream of cows fed on it have both increased in quantity and 

 improved in quality. Another very interesting and impor- 

 tant fact has been recently developed, namely, that this action 

 tends to improve the herbage by favoring the growth of the 

 more valuable kinds of plants ; in almost every instance it 

 has very much increased the growth of the Dutch clover, dec. 

 In Belgium, and many parts of the midland counties of Eng- 

 land, it is the common practice, in order to destroy the 

 couch-grass, &c., to manure twice on the green side with 

 active compost ; no doubt the result of this practice is to 

 bring up the more valuable grasses, which, being delicate, 

 require the assistance of art to insure their vigorous growth. 

 The same results follow the action of fibrous covering, but in 

 a more rapid manner, and certainly the quality of the herb- 

 age is improved. In many parts of fields where the action 

 had been induced, a beautiful floor of grass now appears ; 

 while on those parts left uncovered, the grass is very inferior 

 in appearance, having a considerable quantity of couch- 

 grass and bent. There is no doubt therefore in practice 

 that the quality of Gurneyized grass will be tbund equal if 

 not superior to that of ordinary growth. 



" It was thought by several persons during the summer, 

 that the action of fibrous covering was occasioned by retard- 

 ing evaporation, and shading the soil during the unusually 

 dry season. This, however, is not the case ; the same pro- 

 portional increase of vegetation has gone on since the wet 

 weather set in, and still continues. Mr. Gurney stated at 

 the last meeting that he has found fibrous covering, in a late 

 experiment during the wet weather, had brought up the eaver 

 and clover in a barley arish, in which the seeds had failed 



