118 



The hope of discovering, and the discovery of a single grass, or mode of cultivation superior 

 to every other for all the purposes of the Agriculturist, under every circumstance, would surely 

 he as rational, and when effected, as great, as those of the Philosopher's stone, and the universal 



r 



specific. 



r 



great 



From a careful perusal of the foregoing series of facts and observations, the following con- 

 clusion will appear just: that the failures in attempts to renew the original valuable sward on 

 rich ancient pasture lands, rise not from the length of time that the plants require to arrive at 

 perfection from seed, nor frojnthe injury the land sustains from a course of grain crops; ]jut 

 evidently from the neglect of employing the seeds of those grasses which are natural to the soil, 

 and that constituted the produce of the valuable pasture. What those grasses are, and their 

 comparative merits and value, the specimens, and the details of experiments, will in a 

 measure have shewn. 



It appears most unaccountable, that, at this day, when the different branches of practical 

 agriculture seem to be so well understood, it should be asserted, and without contradiction too, 

 that it is of no importance what kinds of grasses are sown upon lands for the purposes of perma- 

 nent pasture, as Nature itself, in the course of time, will produce those kinds of grasses best 

 adapted to the soil, and which only reiuain permanent. Now, as the whole art of cultivating 

 plants is nothing more than assisting Nature in the process of the growth of vegetables, surely 

 the above doctrine can amount to nothing more than the confession of an utter deficiency in tlie 

 knowledge of the art of assisting Nature in the process of clothing the soil with its natural pe- 



^ - r J. 



rennial grasses; or, that instead of three or four years, in the course of which, ]>y the kind assist- 

 ance of art, the valuable sward may be renewed, it is better to leave it to the slow unassisted 

 efforts of Nature, to be renewed in eight, ten, or twenty years. 



The superiority of ancient natural pastures, over those formed artificially with Rye-grass 

 and Clover, was before alluded to. It will be found principally to arise from the variety of dif- 

 ferent habits and properties which exist in a numerous combination of different species of grass. 

 From the l^eginning of spring, till winter, there is not a month that is not thp peculiar season in 



whicl 



1 one 



es 



or more grasses attain to the greatest degree of perfection. Some grasses there arc, 

 that withstand the injurious effects of long-continued dry wxathcr better than others, wAvice 

 versa. Hence, the comparatively never-failing supply of nutritive herbage obtained from na- 

 tural pastures, which it is vain to look for in those artificially for^ned with one or two grass 

 pnly. 



J 



The chief properties which give value to a grass, are nutritive powers, produce, early 

 growth, reproductive powers, or the property of growing rapidly alter being cropped, and tl 



facilities if; offfirs fnrits v>yr>i-.o^^+;«,, 1,,, :i 



le 



ties it offers for its propagation by seed. 



If one species of grass could be discovered, that possessed all these properties in a superior 

 degree to every other, the knowledge of distinguishing the different species of grass A.illi cer- 

 tanity, that of the soils and sub-soil best adapted to their growth, and the natural habits, compa- 

 nvtive value, and merits of the different plants, would then be naore for curiosity than utility. 

 i?ut thp reswlts of these experiments have proved, that a combination of all the merits aud pro- 



