210 



The Condition of Permanent Meadows. [June, 



Table I. — Showing the gain ( + ) or loss ( — ) in weediness, 

 in comjparison with the unmanured plot, of plots manured 

 with dnng and ivith complete artificials, inchiding ammonium 

 sulphate. 



Centre. 



Dung. 



Complete Arti ficials ivith 

 Ammonium Suljfhate. 



1. Rothamsted, 185r)-1902 



2. Cirencester,! 1888-1912 



3. Cockle Park + 1897-1911 



4. Garforth,§ 1899-1919 



5. TarltoD, 1913 



6. Cricklade, 1913 



7. Dry Leaze, 1913 



+ 2-4 



(1) —2-0 (2) +13-0 

 + 18-G 



— 15-1 



— 2-2 



(1) — G'8 (2) — 3-0 



— 6-011 



— 10-0 



— 7-0 



— 2-4 



1. A D. Hall, Inc. cit. 2, 5, G and 7 Royal Agricultural College. Sci. Bull. 

 Nos. 4 and 5, 1912-13. 3. County of Northumberland Bull. Xo. 18. 

 4. Leeds Bull. No. 113. 



! Analysis 1912. 



X Analysis (1) 1905-190G : (2) 1907-1908. 



§ Analysis 1909. 



Ii Sulphate of Ammonia only. 



The habitual late cutting of permanent meadows of necessity 

 makes for weediness. The life cycle of coarse-growing plants 

 is not then interfered with. The longer a field is left uncut 

 and ungrazed the more are the perennial non-gramineous 

 elements of the flora favoured, as also are annual w^eeds like 

 Yellow Battle, and, indeed, grasses like Yorkshire Fog and 

 Soft Brome which so largely perpetuate themselves by 

 excessive seeding. The rapidity with w^hich meadows 

 deteriorate under the prolonged influence of late cutting is 

 not fully appreciated, the farmer being content to sacrifice the 

 quality of his hay and the condition of his fields for a some- 

 what problematical increase in bulk.* 



Weeds of meadows are in many cases decreased by heavy 

 grazing, and there can be no doubt that much meadow 

 land would, in the last resort, be more productive of human 

 food if used for a number of years as pasture. The conversion 

 of meadows yielding heavy crops of w^eedy hay into pastures 

 would of course necessitate the production of hay by other 

 means. This aspect of " meadow^ " improvement is dealt 



In any particular year the greatest bulk is likely to be haryested from 

 late cut hay, but when 'the effect of progressiye deterioration is taken into 

 account it is probable that oyer a series of years a greater gross produce per 

 decade ^yould be obtained from earlier cutting, and this would certainly be so 

 on poor land. In the writer's opinion the deterioration aspect of late cutting- 

 is of greater significance than the loss of nutritiye yalue in any particular 

 season. 



