224 



erof 





Barley proves always less injurious to the Qxasses, when sown witli tl.^^ ^i 



the white gram crops. 1 he nutritive matter of Barley contains more sugar, and proportioi " 

 less gluten or albumen, than any other species of Corn. ' ^' 



The defect of sandy soils in germinating seeds, is clearly owing to the sudden deprivation of 

 moisture which they suffer, when a course of dry weather commences just before, after o^^^ 

 the time the seed begins to vegetate. For when sandy dry soils are duly supplied with 

 moisture, seeds sown on such, sooner vegetate than on any other kind of soil, wdiethe- 

 richer or more tenacious nature. 



The manner of growth of Tares offers a remedy for the defect of white grain, or upri ht 

 growing crops. The stems of Tares spread out and shade the surface of the soil from the effifj 

 of the sun. But, unless Tares are sown very thin, they will be found to destroy the seedlhi! 

 grasses, by excluding the air. In every instance, however, where the seeds of annuals are 

 sown with the perennial grass-seeds, it should be remembered, that every plant of these occupies 

 a space to the detriment of the expected sward ; and the results of all my experiments 

 perfectly agree in confirming the opinion, that £ovpermanenf pasture, the grasses sown should 

 be free from any admixture of annual, or white grain crops. 



The results of all the experiments on light sandy soils, tend to confirm the opinion before 

 expressed at page 95, respecting the superiority of depasturing, or mowing seedhng grasses, the 

 first year. Oxen are liable to poach the surface; and horses and sheep weaken tl^e scedliu. 

 plants, by cropping too near the roots. Sheep are evidently the least hurtful. By frequently 

 rolhng the surface, and mowing the produce, the young plants establish themselves better in the 

 ground, and all of the plants raised are preserved. But by leaving the plants to perfect their 

 seed the first year, and excluding cattle, the young plants are deprived of the benefit of the 

 luanure suppbed by the sheep, which, at this stage of the growth of seedling grasses, is more 

 particularly valuable on a soil of this nature, than on rich ancient pasture land ; as the roller, 

 when used judiciously, presses the droppings into the surfixce of the ground, and brings the 

 manure in contact with the fibrous roots of the plants. It is evident, however, that all the 

 benefits accruing to the plants from depasturing the first year, may be suppUed by a top- 

 dressmg m the autumn or spring, and a liberal use of the roller, when the ground is in a suit- 

 able state to benefit by it. By suffering the seedling plants to perfect their seed before the 

 crop IS collected, is doubtless not the best practice : in all my experiments, the results were 

 decidedly in favour of this opinion. Atop-dressing should never be applied without sowing 

 some of the seeds along with it; once sowing will never be found efiieient to form the most valu- 

 able sward in the shortest space of time, on a fight dry sandy soil. 



^bould the mode of depasturing, instead of mowing the first year's crop, be still preferred in 



any case, I may be permitted once more to remnrt tlT . .1 • i / 1 r,h 



r , ^"^^i^arJi, that nothing weakens or retards the CTOWth 



ot grasses so much, as cropping them clo^e at th. v .i ■ i: i i ^U 



■p . ri o "1 Close at the time their first tender shoots appear in the 



spiing. -t^rom various trials, it appeared thahrl^ • 1 i ^ 1 ■ -i 1 • .i. 



J, . ' ^^^"^ ^^"^ close cropping the produce of this sod early in the 



spnng, and late ,„ a*,,™, was much less i„j„,.i„„s ,o it. old sward tl.an to seedling grasses. 



When a g,ven space of the same speeies of grass was e„. close to the roots towards the end of 



afterwIrT ,7 ■■ T" " """"''^^ "" *<= '^^' -^l' » April, the produce of each space heing 

 tm het eT^'™ " *"', '''f'''"' ^"""S'' *« P~<l"oe of L space that was left uncroppc. 



latter end of AprJ, exceeded that of the early cropped spac!, in the proportion of 3 to « ; 



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