MAMKES C-N l-hi;MANKNT MKADOWS. 271 



C II A PTE i: XXXIII. 



MANIUES ON I'KUMANKNT MKADoWS AND 

 I'ASTIKES. 



In this tountry, wluTr labor is coinparativily high, and hay 

 often connnaniU a gtKul price, a goml, pcriiiancnt ini-adow frc- 

 (jurntly atFonls as iniirli nal profit as any othir iM>rtion of the 

 farm. Now that we liave iriiod iiio\vin<;-iiia('hiius, l«'dd(.r>, rakes, 

 and loading; and iinloadin,' apparatus, thi- lahor of liay-mnkini^ 

 Ls jjreally U'ss<-iu'd. Thi' only dilliciilty is to kin-p up and incri'Jise 

 the annual ijrowth of irood j;r.iss. 



Numi'rou-* rxperiinrnl-s «)n topdrrssing nuailows arc reported 

 from year t«i year. The n-sulls. of course, diffiT considerably, bcin^ 

 influenced by the soil and season. The profit of the practice de- 

 pends very much on the price of liay. In tl»e liAstern States, hay 

 jrenenilly coinman b a higher relati%'e price than gniin, and it not 

 unfrcipiently hap|K'ns t!iat wc can use manure on gra.'^s to decided 

 ail vantage. 



The celebrated experiments of Messrs. Lawes & Gilbert with 

 " Manun's on Permanent Meadow land " were comminced in 1856, 

 and have been continut d on the .same plots every year since that 

 time. 



" You need not be afraid, Deacon," said I, as tlie old gentleman 

 commeDced to ixitton up his coat," I am not going into the details 

 of these wonderfid experiments ; but I am sure you will be inter- 

 ested in the results of tlie hrst six or seven years. 



The following table explains itself: 



