104 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



narrow hand-hoe, and for the sake of the future of the pasture 

 it is well worth while to give these strong-growing weeds 

 early and persistent attention. Thistles can be eradicated 

 by repeatedly chopping them off near to the ground with 

 an old scythe until they bleed to death. 



Should it be found by the middle of May that the grass has 

 failed, no time must be lost in shallow-ploughing or cultivating 

 the land, breaking it down again into fine tilth, and re-sowing. 

 Supposing, however, that the seed has taken over the main area, 

 leaving some bare spots, these must have their crust broken 

 with a hoe, followed by a heavy rake, and be re-sown, raked over, 

 and again rolled down. When the plots which have missed 

 plant are too large for hand work, the harrow can be employed 

 instead of the hoe and rake. It will never do to assume that 

 the crop is all right. Rather assume that it is not perfect until 

 examination has shown the contrary. 



Grasses and clovers sown with corn should not be allowed 

 to suffer injury from thistles and other coarse weeds. The 

 destruction of these pests is necessary for the corn, and is 

 imperative for the success of the grasses. Immediately the 

 corn is off the ground the whole field should be carefully 

 examined to ascertain whether there is a plant or not. After 

 a wet harvest there will be no difficulty in deciding promptly. 

 But in a dry season I do not advocate a hasty judgment. 

 The dry stubble, the parched ground, and the brown herbage 

 all help to mislead. A few hours of warm soaking rain may 

 put a new complexion on an old face in so brief a time as 

 to produce an almost magical effect, and therefore it is not 

 wise to be in too great a hurry to pronounce upon success 

 or failure. I know more than one instance where a spring 

 sowing of permanent grasses was followed by a dry summer, 

 and when the corn was cut no plant at all was visible. 

 A top-dressing of four hundredweight per acre of bones and 

 superphosphate was applied, with such good effect that in the 

 following summer a heavy crop of hay was cut. 



