GRASS. 



The land flioulJ be bufli-hart'ovved and rolled, and after- 

 wards kept clean of luxuriant weeds. It is, however, re- 

 marked, that " much as this has been extolled, yet it is 

 feldom fown either alone, or with other grals-feeds, fmce 

 the introdudion of red and white clover ; though itsgreatell 

 excellence is for winter-pallure in the ftcds of flicep, &c." 

 See DunxET. 



Chicory is likewife a plant of this defcription, which may 

 be found highly beneficial on many poor fandy or gravelly 

 foils, where other forts of gralTes cannot eftablilli themfelves. 

 It is afl'erted, in the Norfolk Report, that " Mr. Bevan 

 fowed an acre of poor land, worth not more than zs. 6d. 

 rent, with chicory in 1793. and tiiat the next year it pro- 

 duced 7/ los. in feed.'' And the writer fays, that he has 

 taken feveral' opportunities of recommending this grafs 

 in that dillrift. On large tratls of poor land, he is 

 contiuent it would increafe the produce tenfold ; and it well 

 merits trial, lie tliinks, on every foil in it. The objeftion 

 W'hich has been founded on its not being eafdv extirpated, is, 

 he contends, of no importance, for tares ihould be fown 

 after it on foine foils, and turnips on otiiers, in which fyftem, 

 its, diiUniftion is unqueltioned. This hint (hould not flip the 

 notice of cultivators in other districts. 



Summer Tare. — This is a plant of the kind, which is 

 much employed as fummer herbage, eillier paftured or 

 mown green, as foiling for horfes, &c.; for hay, as a fublli- 

 tute for red clover (on land that has been tired of growing 

 it) ; tor manure to be buried in by the plougli : and for feed : 

 hence the fealon for fowing the feed of this tare will depend 

 upon the ufe it is intended for. When for fummer herbage, 

 &c. it matters not how early the feed is fown, provided no 

 hard froll enfue. Tlit firfl fowing may be as early in Fe- 

 bruary as the feafon and condition of the foil will allow, and 

 to continue the lowing at due interyals through the months 

 of March and April, whieh v/ill give a good opportunity 

 for fucceffions of them, to the great convenience of fummcr- 

 leeding, but when for depalturing, it will be prudent to 

 wait till the tares have gained a fufficient increafe of haulm, 

 before the flock are turned in upon them. And wlieu for 

 foiling horfes, &:c. they fliould be mown before they flower ; 

 and in no initance (liould the haulm be fuffered to become 

 rotten near the furface of the ground, w hich frequently hap- 

 pens on rich foils and moiil leafons. If for hay, as a fub- 

 lUtute for red-clover, the feed {liould be fown as early in 

 March as circumilances will allow ; but the time of mowing 

 is more optional. Some mow them when the blolTonis ai-e 

 fuller ; others, juft before they are quite ripe. But, in ei- 

 ther cafe, th.e fame caution is neceffary, as m making faint- 

 foiii and clover into hay ; and that is, to avoid breaking off 

 the leaves, in which a great part of their virtue rciidef. 

 Whe:i they are intended for manure, the feed (hould be fown 

 as early in February as the feafon and condition of the foil 

 will permit, and at the rate of four bufhels to the acre. For 

 tliis ufe they ihould be ploughed in before they get too loner 

 in their growth. But whatever is the intended ufe m culti- 

 vating this tare, the preparation of tlie land is the fame ; and 

 this plant delights moll in light fandy foils : and, in every 

 cafe the land fliould be ploughed and harrowed once in a 

 place, before th • f.-td is fown ; then fow the feed broad- 

 call atthe rate of three builiels an acre for the firll and fecond 

 ufes , harrow the laud well afterwards, and then lay it 

 dry. 



" The great objects m cultivating this tare are, ift, fprin<T- 

 food and fummer-herbage for cattle and ilieep, efpecialfy 

 ewes and lambs. 2d. Hay, as a fubllitute for red-clover. 

 3d. Manure, to be buried in by the plough. And 4th. 

 Seed. But wlutever is the iiitcuJed ufe of this tare, Au- 



guft and September is the prime feafon for fowing the feed. 

 of it. As foon, therefore, as the ground can be cleared cf 

 its crop, the land fhould be ploughed and harrowed onc& in 

 a place before the feed is fown upon it." And it anfwers ex- 

 tremely well Cmply as a fpring-food, when fown with rye, 

 in the proportion of fix pecks of each to the acre. See 

 Tare. 



Where they can be cultivated, crops of this fort fhould 

 never be negleclcd. See Artificial Grqffes. 



GRAsfi-G round, in Gardening, the parts of ornamented 

 grounds which are kept in the ilateof lawn (liortgrafsor fward. 

 Thofe fpaces which are extended in the fronts oi the houfes or 

 habitations, and are termed lawns, are moilly kept in fhort 

 grafs, which, by their conflant verdure, fummer and winter, 

 and open rural appearance, exhibit a fine imitation of na- 

 ture at all feafons, elpecially when the fide boundaries ter- 

 minate in rural plantations in various natural curves and 

 bendings. This mode of laying out pleafure grounds pre- 

 vails much at prefent. But befidcs tliefe it is the praftice 

 to have rural (liort grafs openings continued between the 

 plantations throughout the different didrifts of ground of 

 this fort, feparating and bounding the (hrubbery clumps, 

 borders, and other parts, in fonie places widely fprcadiiig, 

 in others more contratled ; but, in either cafe, extending 

 to the boundaries of the feveral plantation compartments, 

 in various bendings, fvvecps, and curves; by which the 

 whole is rendered rurally ornamental, and at the fame thne 

 more agreeable and eafy to walk on than gravel between the 

 plantations, when the weather is dry and hot durin"- the 

 lunimcr feafon. In the ancient llyle of gardening, it was 

 much the cullom to have ftraight (hort grafs-walks, both 

 for ornament and common walking upon: but for ornament, 

 iinlcfs elegantly wide and fpacious, they have a li;tlenefs in 

 their general appearance, as may be feen where long narrow 

 flips of fliort grafs-ground are extended to fome diitance, in 

 the way of walks ; md for the latter purpofe they are very 

 improper in winter and all moid weather; and even in fumiricr 

 in the mornings and evenings, as being always damp and 

 dewy. Walks of this kind fliould therefore be but fpa- 

 ringly introduced ; and where any are made for variety, or- 

 nament, or fummer's walking, they fliould be as fpacious as 

 the fituation admits, not lefs than from ten to fifteen feet 

 wide, and even twenty feet wide or more, when the walk is 

 confidcrably extended in length. 



The method of forming fliort grafs-ground work is either 

 by fowing the parts with grafs feeds, or by laying them 

 with turf cut from a fine field, common, or down ; the lat- 

 ter of which, where it can be obtained at a moderate ex- 

 pencc, is greatly preferable, as it not only at once forms a 

 complete fward, but is generally more clofe, even, and 

 fmooth, as well as lefs apt to run up to bentv grafs, grow 

 rank, or rife in tufts, than by the fowing method. The fow- 

 ing method is, however, m.uch lefs expenfive, 



Preparalhns. — In preparing the ground either for fow- 

 ing grafs feeds upon or laying with turf, the whole muft lj» 

 broken up equally to a mo "rate fpadc's depth, clearing out 

 all the rcots of perennial weeds and other coarfe materials. 

 When thi,; has been done. Hakes or wooden pegs with 

 notches, for making the level, according to the pofition of 

 the ground, mull be driven in ; then proceed with line and 

 fpade to rougli-level th.e ground according to the marks or 

 levels on the pegs, aftcrwai'ds treading, rolling, or ramming 

 the whole down equally, that it may nowhere fink in hollows 

 afterwards. When this has been liniihed, the levels fliould 

 be wrought up more accurately, and the who!^ finilhed with 

 it neat raking, clearing off all lai-ge Hones, and making an 



