114 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



pasture will not bear a moment's examination. The result 

 of this fallacy is fraught with mischief, and entails an 

 enormous loss on the farmers of this country every year. 

 The alternate system offers a remedy of proved value, the 

 adoption of which will tend very materially to turn a deficit 

 into a favourable balance. Cocksfoot, Timothy, Italian Rye 

 Grass, and other strong-growing grasses, not only produce 

 heavy crops of nutritious hay, but they smother weeds and 

 keep the land clean ; that is, supposing it to have been in a 

 reasonably clean condition when sown. The alternate system 

 will justify neither slovenly preparation nor foul seeding. 

 Those who sow rubbish will assuredly reap as they sow. The 

 seeds sold for leys sometimes consist largely of Goose Grass 

 and Yorkshire Fog, with a liberal sprinkling of sorrel and 

 docks. Let no man who puts such a vile mixture into his 

 land blame the system I am advocating for the miserable 

 results he may obtain. 



One Year's Ley. — For this purpose the varieties must 

 obviously be restricted to those which yield a large and imme- 

 diate return. Either Annual or Itahan Hye Grass will form 

 the basis of the mixture, and an addition of Perennial Rye 

 Grass will generally be desirable, as also a very small quantity 

 of Cocksfoot and of Timothy. For grazing. Broad Clover 

 is preferable to Cow Grass, and White Clover will also be a 

 necessary constituent. But for hay, Alsike should replace 

 White Clover. Where Trefoil is indigenous, especially if it 

 appears freely, seed of this clover is not wanted in a mixture. 

 In other cases a proportion of it may be an advantage to 

 the crop. 



Two Years' Ley. — The extended duration of the ley 

 justifies an increase of Timothy and Cocksfoot, but it is very 

 easy to overdo the latter. Italian will almost certainly be 

 preferable to Annual Rye Grass, although the proportion must 



