GRASS, 



prevent tlie ilems oF fi-veral graffea from running into feed, 

 ud being injured in confequence of it. 



But another method of improvincr grafs-lands, praftifed 

 by Mr. Salter of Norfolk, is faid to be original, and of great 

 iniportarce. It is ftated in the Norfolk Survey lately pub- 

 liflied, that " upon his large farm of above 8co acres, he 

 found 3 or 4,00 acres of old meadows entirely poifoned by 

 fpring;;, \vhich, from every fort of impediment that negleft 

 could caufe, had formed bogs and moory bottoms, famous 

 for rotting Ihecp and miring cows ; with blackthorns and 

 other rubbifli fprcad over large trafts. His firft operations 

 w re, to grub and clear the land, and open all ditches to the 

 depth of four or five feet, and to cut open drains in almoil 

 every direftiun for laying them dry; burning the earth, and 

 fpreading the afhes on the groinid : fo far, the reporter fays, 

 all was no more thaw common good hufbandry ; but he ap- 

 pli.'d a thought entirely his own : as he f jund Uiat the flinty 

 gravel, marie, and other earths, but efptciaily the gravel, 

 was very beneficial to tl'.e herbage, he thought of lowing 

 winter tares and white clover upon the places wherever any 

 earth was fpread, or any otlier operation had laid bare the 

 furface, harrowing in thofe feeds. The writer had the 

 pleafure of ieeing (cveral ot thefe crops growing : the fucce fs 

 has been uncommonly great ; for the land thus fown not only 

 has given large and very profitable crops of hay, but has 

 alio received a rapid improvement in the herbage ; the cover 

 and (luide of the tares, fo benelieial to allland, mellowed the 

 furface, and feemed to draw up as well as protedt fuch of 

 the old plants as received improvement from the manure, and 

 exhibited a much fuperior fleece of grafs to any fpots where 

 this fingular managenicnt had not taken place. So that 

 nothing can be clearer, on viewing this large traft of meadov.', 

 than the fuperiority of the improvement refulting from the 

 growth of the tares : the effect of the manure is much acce- 

 lerated and rendered greater." 



The reporter further hints, that " the idea is certainly 

 applicable to many of the grafs-lands of the kingdom, efpe- 

 cially fuch as are improving by the addition of chalk, marie, 

 clay, loam, fand or gravel : 40 loads an acre of any of thefe 

 bodies will much improve coarfe or wet, or moory grafs- 

 land5 ; and then to add tares fecures an immediate profit, 

 and makes the manure work much focner and more power- 

 fully. He fows fome fo late as the middle of May." An 

 4dea here ftrikes the writer, which h.e (hall venture to add ; 

 that " if he was to fcar;fy any moll'v, hide-bound, or poor 

 paftures, &c. it iliould be with a drill-fearificr, drilling in 

 winter tares by every tooth of the fcarifier ; and he has no 

 doubt but the tares would take well, and effeft a confiderable 

 improvement, even without manuring." It is ifated in 

 addition, that " Mr. Salter has practifed the tare hufbandry 

 on meadow? for ten years, but his firll beginning was feven- 

 teen years ago, at Ellingham. : the cockchafer-grubs had 

 (leftroyed a part of a meadow ; he harrowed in tares and 

 feeds, and the fuccefs was great." It is alio ftated, that 

 " tare-feed running fhort, he this year fowed peas and oats 

 mixed on fome fpots, and they are found to do well ; aud 

 this hufoandry he purfues, whether he intends mowing or 

 pailuring. The v.riter conlidera thir, a difcovery of vaft ad- 

 vantage to grafs hufoandry in general. 



And it is likewife obferved, that "TMr. Sevan's arable 

 fand, at Riddlefworth, joining tp his low boggy meadows, 

 gave him the power of carting fand down hill at an eafy ex- 

 pence ; and thus lie improved fome parts of tliolc meadows 

 to great effett : from 100 to j 50 loads an acre were fpread at 

 the cxpence of 4/. er 5/, 



Slatement of E.xfenci. 



A team of five horfes, 30 loads a day, and wear 



and tear .... 



Driver . . . - 



I'iUing, at 2d. ... 



In 1802 this method anfwered very greatly: thefe meads 

 were then not capable of irrigation, but one meadow has 

 fince been watered, and the water has taken much greater 

 effeft on account of the fanding, than if that operation had 

 not been performed. The fand has all been laid on the moft 

 boggy meadows " This hint fhould not efcape the notice of 

 the praftical fanner in other dillrifts, as there are many 

 where it may be had recourfe to, with the greateft advantage 

 and fuccefs. There is likewife a limilar method of improvino- 

 old rough and boggy meadow-land deicribed, with a plate, 

 by a writer, under the title of /'igricol.i Norfolcieulis, in 

 the firft volume of the fecond feries of the Agricubural 

 J»Iagazine, as praclifed by Mr. Rix, of the fame county. 

 " This meadow was fituated at Clipftone, near Fakenham, 

 in the occupation of the above, and the property of T. W. 

 Coke, efq." of Holkham. It is noticed that '• this mea- 

 dow, from the ncgleft of former tenants, and want of 

 judgment in cutting what few open drains or ditches were 

 attempted, had become very rotten in many places, and at 

 le;ift three parts of the four fo over-run with fedge and 

 ruil.cs, that its utmoft annual value could fcarcely be elti- 

 mated at more than eight (hillings per acre. The lands con- 

 tiguous to it are of a light friable nature, inclining to fand, 

 by fpots, and fall with a gentle declivity ttnvards it from 

 each fide, the meadow being the bafon and receiver of tlie 

 numerous fpnngs whicli rife in the upper fields, and whiclu in 

 couife of time, had rendered fome parts of it utterly ini- 

 paffable for an horfe, and Icurcely fafe for a man at certain 

 feafons. It is obfifrvcd t'tiat the firft ftep the prefent oc- 

 cupier took was, as fuon after Michaehn;is ps he could, to 

 cut the drains, as lie has (hewn in the plan ; all of which are 

 covered, except the main drain, and the two ditches. Thefe 

 latter arc cut both wide and deep, and are the chief operating' 

 checks to the fprings above. And as fooii as the weather 

 permitted, he next fet the teams to work (wliik;h were 

 enabled to enter, even upon the moft unfound parts, very 

 fiiorlly after ths firft procefs was concluded), to level the 

 hills, fill up the hollows, and to cart all the fuperfluous 

 mould lie could colleil within the boundary of the meadow, 

 (fuch as came out of the new-cut ditches and main drain 

 principally), to the amount of j 000 loads, over the furface 

 of the whole. About the laft week of March he drill, 

 rolled ; and where the roller could not work, from little 

 inequalities of ground, he dibbled tlie feeds mentioned in the 

 annexed flatement, harrowing the fmall feeds in afterwards ; 

 and, in July latl, he cut and ftacked the produce, which the 

 writer has feen, and can witnefs to be excellent hay. 



It is added that the preilnt appeai'ance of the meadow, 

 atter being fed down very eluie by more th;ui fifteen fcore of 

 ilieep, ejvliibits, notwithftai.ding the very wet feafon we ex- 

 perienced, one uniformly dry, firm, and Iniooth furface, 

 completely covered with a fhort turf, con filling of ray- 

 grafs, Dutch-clover, and good natural grafTes. There ace 

 certainly fome ruihes yet, but far lets numerous and ftrong 

 than heretofore, and which it may juftly be cxpcfted a few 

 fweepings with the fcvthe, and hard flocking with (heep, 

 v*iU iij time wholly deftroy. But though there may not be 

 7 much 



