56 PRACTICAL NOTES ON GRASSES AND GRASS GROWING, 
with weeds ; any weeds, such as thistles, being kept under 
by hard grazing and the scythe, 
Many years since a party of thoroughly practical agricul- 
turists visited Holkham to inspect the experimental farms. In 
one field that had been allowed to lie waste as an experiment, 
and been fed for seven or more years, they could not find 
(even on close examination) a single patch of cultivated 
grasses. When this field was cultivated like the remainder of 
those which had enjoyed a seven years’ rest, it gave precisely 
similar results. This is both astonishing and interesting, and 
there, doubtless, are many derelict lands in England that could 
be treated successfully on Lord Leicester’s plan if they were 
properly taken in hand. Of course, it must not be forgotten 
that the feed from a field in such a state would be inferior to 
the feed of pastures sown with cultivated grasses. 
Although Lord Leicester’s system, so far, has been confined 
to light and poor land within the park walls (no small area), 
we see no reason why it should not be equally applicable to 
heavy or to any other kind of land. ‘lhe courses are divided 
as follows :— 
In the first course, the land is ploughed up as soon as con- 
venient in the autumn, skimmers are used, and all is turned in 
and buried closely, so that decomposition may set in during 
the winter, and assist the increase of humus. / 
His lordship most strongly deprecates, under this system, 
the burning of quicks and other rubbish, and it was rightly 
pointed out to us that the so doing destroys the humus (derived 
by burying), and leaves but the smallest return of potash. 
Burning weeds on the land was likened to burning the money 
in one’s own pocket. 
In the following spring the land is cross ploughed, care 
being taken to keep the plough just under the autumn work to 
cut the turfs into squares as is required. Governed by the 
state of the land, the season, and other circumstances, a 
