1905.] Formation of Permanent Pastures. 453 



mixtures, and I propose referring to both, for the purpose of 

 indicating the direction in which we must work if we are to be 

 successful in laying down clay land to grass. The figures in 

 Table III. give the results produced by the successful mixture, 

 No. VIII., and by two unsuccessful mixtures, Nos. I. and V. 

 The latter have been failures for different reasons, and, together, 

 they serve to illustrate the points I have discussed above. The 

 figures, except those giving the composition of the hay in 1901, 

 refer to the " B " sub-plots, which were manured with 10 cwt. 

 basic slag per acre in the autumn of 1900. The 1901 figures 

 are the averages for the four sub-plots, into which each acre 

 sown with different seeds-mixtures was divided, but as the 

 manures had scarcely begun to affect the herbage in 1901, these 

 figures may also be taken as representing the " B " sub-plots. 



The columns in the table show (1) the weight of seed sown ; 

 (2 and 3) the composition of the hay crops ; (4) the proportion 

 of the surface occupied by the different pasture plants ; and ($) 

 the approximate number of pasture plants in thousands. 



The character of the plots in 1901, and the change which has 

 taken place in their appearance and quality, are pretty fairly 

 indicated by a comparison of the hay crops cut in 1901 and 

 1905. These crops weighed per acre : — 



Mixture. 



VIII. 



I. 



V. 







Cwt. 



Cwt. 



Cwt. 



Abbotsley hay crop of 



1901 



27 







Do 



1905 



36| 



2I| 



141 



It there was any plot for which success might have been 

 preJicted in 1900 it was No. V. It was sown down with an 

 ample number of seeds ; there was an abundance of red clover, 

 cock's-foot, timothy, and meadow fescue to make a hay crop ; 

 the bottom grasses were represented by hard fescue, crested 

 dog's-tail, and rough-stalked meadow grass ; rye-grass was 

 absent ; the manuring was liberal and suited to the soil ; but 

 in spite of all this the pasture is now a complete failure. 

 Nearly 15 per cent, of the surface is bare or weed-covered ; 

 cock's-foot forms coarse, ungainly tufts; timothy, though growing 

 on a clay soil,* is thin and weak ; red clover has disappeared ; 

 alsyke has almost gone ; and for every 100 seeds of white 



