12 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



a series. This treatment had been continued for only three years 

 (if I recollect aright) when I saw it, and although there had 

 been no application of grass seed, yet these plots differed much 

 from the original lawn, and from each other in the species 

 which were conspicuously prominent. Grasses not before seen 

 in the lawn at all were flourishing luxuriantly on some of the 

 plots. Before this treatment, other species were better fitted 

 for the soil and hence crowded these out, but with the change 

 in the composition of the soil, these other species better 

 adapted to the new conditions had sufficient vigor to choke 

 out the old ones. Perhaps every one of you is familiar with 

 facts illustrating the same thing, but shown in another way, 

 for the fact is not a new one. Some of the oldest agricultural 

 books in our language say, that one effect of lime applied to 

 land is to " bring in " white clover. 



I have dwelt so fully on the number of species in good 

 old pastures, that it doubtless occurs to you that the result 

 might be speedily obtained by sowing at once this large 

 variety of grass seeds, mixed as we wish the plants mixed. 

 This is true, but yet it takes time, for the reason that it takes 

 many years for the firmest texture to be produced, or for the 

 soil to have the proper covering and composition near the 

 surface, or for the nice balance to be reached between the 

 soil and plant so that each square foot or yard of ground is 

 fully stocked with just that variety or species which it grows 

 best. There is such a balance which will ultimately be 

 reached, man can assist Nature in finding it, but he cannot 

 accomplish it without time. 



I will not attempt to discuss the relative amounts of forage 

 that may be produced on a given area of old pasture com- 

 pared with the same area frequently seeded or tilled to crops 

 for soiling, such a discussion is foreign to my present pur- 

 pose. It cannot be denied that large quantities can be so pro- 

 duced, and that for certain purposes these newer crops may 

 be more profitable, that they may produce larger quantities of 

 milk or even of flesh. But all lands cannot be so used. 

 Every country has large areas that can be more profitably 

 employed in pasture than in any other way, and it is desirable 



