20 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



Whether the roots are fed off during September or 

 October by sheep eating hay or cake— and the use of cake is 

 to be strongly commended— or whether the roots are carted 

 off during autumn, in either case the plough should be put 

 into the ground the moment it is at liberty. This first 

 ploughing must be deep and thorough, and should be quickly 

 followed by another ploughing to lay the land up rough for 

 the winter. In February, or as early as the land is workable, 

 get the harrow and the roller upon it until the seed-bed is fine, 

 firm, and level. A tenacious soil, which dries off lumpy, may 

 involve the expenditure of much time and energy to put it 

 into good order. The delay will prove tantalising, but im- 

 patience is a bad husbandman, and the implements must be 

 kept going until a satisfactory finish is obtained. It should 

 be generally known that few grass seeds will grow at a 

 greater depth than half an inch, even in fine friable soil. In 

 cracks and fissures they will be utterly lost. Hence a sowing 

 on ground which is rough is foredoomed to partial or entire 

 failure, and the plants which do come will be the coarser 

 varieties only. 



Consolidation is equally important, for the young grasses 

 cannot obtain foothold upon a loose or hollow soil. In such a 

 case it is impossible to secure a perfect plant ; and here again 

 the finer sorts will fail. It is no unusual thing 1 to see a full 

 plant of grass all round the headlands of a newly-sown field, 

 while the centre is thin or bare. The explanation is that 

 the greater traffic over the headlands created a firmer seed-bed 

 for the grasses than was made for them elsewhere. 



Even after land has been fully prepared for the seeds, it will 

 be all the better if allowed to lie untouched for a few days 

 before sowing ; but if the season is advanced waiting may be 

 dangerous. Otherwise the delay offers two advantages. It 

 allows the soil further time to settle down, and also wives the 

 annual weeds a chance to start, so that by a final turn of the 

 harrow they may be killed before the grass seeds are sown. 



