26 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



thing. No prescription, however excellent eveiy one of the 

 varieties which compose it may be, can by any possibility be 

 suitable for universal application. The attempt to put forward 

 even a first-class mixture of grasses for all soils and all 

 purposes savours essentially of empiricism. The dogmatism 

 which proclaims the ' universal mixture ' of grasses is near 

 akin to the pretensions of the quack medicine vendor that his 

 particular nostrum will infallibly cure all the complicated evils 

 under which humanity suffers. Those who possess the widest 

 experience on this subject are least inclined to lay down rigid 

 rules. Land agents who have had the management of large 

 estates in various parts of the country, and who have had 

 greater opportunities for extensive observation than most men, 

 are exceedingly careful to consider differences of soil, subsoil, 

 and the purpose to which each individual pasture is to be 

 devoted ; and their success is chiefly attributable to the wise 

 application of general knowledge to special cases. 



It is interesting to pursue the various phases of the ques- 

 tion as they are exemplified in the current public journals. 

 A fashion comes into vogue for a time, to be superseded and 

 condemned by the fashion which follows. Some pet theory is 

 driven hard, and takes the public fancy. It is declared to be 

 infallible ; that wisdom will die with its author ; and that all 

 preceding writers were mere presumptuous novices. The past 

 half-century furnishes many amusing instances of this kind. 

 Some time ago a cry was raised that Italian Rye Grass was the 

 saving clause in British agriculture. It was not only to be 

 grown alone and in alternate leys, but no permanent pasture 

 could possibly be successful which did not contain a large 

 proportion of it. When this theory exploded there was 

 a rebound to the other extreme. Italian Rye Grass was said 

 to be generally unfit for a permanent pasture ; and in this 

 opinion I concur, although I do not agree with those who 

 allege that Italian Rye Grass deteriorates into twitch, and 

 is therefore unsuitable for cultivation. Italian Rye Grass 



