116 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



that when he omits doing so there is the difference of a ton of 

 hay per acre in the cut of the following year. The seed may 

 be sown before the grass starts growth in February, or late in 

 August or the beginning of September. On damp land pre- 

 paration should be made by an application of salt to the most 

 weedy parts, and a severe dragging over the entire surface. 

 A well-mixed compost of lime, the contents of ditches, and 

 any other available rich material, should be distributed over 

 the whole meadow, and the seeds can be sown on any day 

 when the ground is dry enough to permit the roller to be used. 

 To ensure germination it is important that the bush or chain 

 harrow should precede the roller. The meadow should then 

 be laid in for hay, and after the crop is cut cattle may be 

 allowed to depasture the land, but sheep must not be admitted 

 until the following year. Upland pastures may be treated in a 

 similar manner. 



For destroying moss there is no better dressing than two 

 cart-loads of lime mixed with eight cart-loads of light loam 

 per acre : pure lime is too powerful to be applied alone. The 

 heap should be turned several times until the lime is 

 thoroughly slaked and well incorporated with the loam. 

 After dragging the turf with heavy iron harrows, the com- 

 post should be evenly spread. There will soon be a marked 

 improvement, and a full return for the outlay. 



The effect of dragging a pasture is not everywhere 

 appreciated at its full value. The mechanical action breaks 

 up the congested surface, allows the atmosphere to penetrate 

 to the roots, and thus promotes a free and healthy growth of 

 the plants. It also enables the grasses to absorb and derive 

 benefit from any fertilising agent or compost which may be 

 applied to the surface, instead of allowing part of the dressing 

 to be washed away by the first heavy rain. 



