CHAPTER V 



THE MANURING OF GRASS LAND 



There is much discussion at the present time as to whether or 

 not farmers should plough up their medium and poor grass land. 

 Much of it brings in very little, and would produce a greater amount 

 of food for man and beast in arable cultivation than it does now. 

 These facts are not in dispute: the whole question is one of 

 practicability. A grass farmer is not an arable farmer, and in 

 any case if a man is short of labour he may feel very reluctant to 

 increase his area under the plough. The question is one for each 

 to decide for himself: the only general advice one can give is to 

 break up medium grass land if the state of the soil and the labour 

 market affords sufficient prospect of carrying through a series 

 of crops. 



Even with the best intentions, however, farmers will still 

 retain a large amount of grass. In view of the imperative 

 necessity of increasing the food production of the country it is 

 essential that this grass should give the greatest return possible, 

 and to this end it must be properly manured. This is by no 

 means an easy matter. Grass is a permanent crop and carries 

 mistakes in management for a long time: you cannot wipe the 

 slate as with an arable crop, and start afresh at the beginning 

 of the next season. Further, on grass land there are at least 

 four different crops: top grasses, bottom grasses, clovers, and 

 weeds; these are all competing with one another, and a scheme 

 of manuring that looks very good may turn out unsatisfactory, 

 because it interferes in this competition in some unexpected way. 

 Several considerations have to be borne in mind in drawing 

 up a scheme of manuring for grass land. In the first instance 

 grass, like any other crop, must have proper surroundings; it 



