23. 



The Selection of Grasses and 

 Clovers. 



All the operations wMch concern the making of a pasture are 

 important, but it is no exaggeration to say that a judicious com- 

 bination of the various grasses and clovers which are to consti- 

 tute the crop may be justly regarded as vital to success. Failure 

 here means the waste of all other energies, for it is worse than use- 

 less to incur the labour and expense of establishing plants which 

 are not wanted. However good they may be elsewhere, they 

 will be no better than weeds if they fail to answer the required 

 purpose. The choice of suitable seeds has provoked greater 

 conflict of opinion, both among theorists and practical men, than 

 aught else, and in my opinion the main cause of the controversy 

 arises from the attempt to deduce large inferences from small ex- 

 perience. The laying down of land to grass is only an occasional 

 incident on most farms — perhaps it would be correct to say on 

 most estates — and in years not far removed it was less frequent 

 than at present. Even now it is the exception to find persons who 

 are able to speak from experience gained from actual practice 

 over more than a very limited area. Yet the man who has 

 dabbled a little in laying down land will sometimes follow it up 

 with a letter to a daily or weekly newspaper, or dehver a speech 

 at a local farmers* club, from which it might be inferred that 

 the agriculturists of the United Kingdom will find in a parti- 

 cular mixture of seeds the preventive of all the ills that grass 

 lands are heir to. Now a little knowledge on this subject is a 

 very dangerous thing. No prescription, however excellent every 



