243 



wide at the poll and back of the ears and gradually enlarging 

 in all lines to a strong, full junction at the shoulder, as seen 

 from top, sides, or bottom. This should be accompanied 

 by a wide chest, a prominent, well-filled brisket, and a full 

 heart girth, giving straight, even lines from the shoulders 

 back. A depression either in front of or behind the shoulder, 

 whether at the top, side, or bottom line, is an indication of 

 weakness. The back should be strong, wide, and well- 

 meated from shoulder point to tail. The hind quarters 

 should be full and well let down in the leg and flank. 

 The legs should be placed wide apart and stand straight. 

 Sickle-shaped hocks and weak, sloping pasterns afford 

 sufficient reason for condemning an otherwise good sheep.' 



Some experiments were conducted last year by the South 

 Eastern Agricultural College at Wye 

 Eradication of to test the effects of mechanical and 

 Moss in Pastures, chemical treatment for the eradication 

 of moss from grass land, Many of the 

 pastures about Wye, where the soil consists of a light loam 

 resting on the chalk, get very mossy in the winter, though 

 as the spring advances and the grass begins to grow the 

 moss is less in evidence. Three reasons are generally 

 assigned for the prevalence of moss : poorness of the land, 

 sourness, and deficient aeration, but none of these seem to be 

 applicable to the pastures in question. In the first place, the 

 moss is generally most visible where the grass has 

 done well the year before ; and secondly, no land could be 

 less liable to sourness, for the chalk rock is less than a foot 

 away, so that there is as much as 40 per cent, of calcium 

 carbonate in the top three inches of soil ; the drainage is 

 perfect and the soil is constantly being opened up by the action 

 of worms. Deficient aeration and sourness are certainly not 

 causes of moss, for in any hedgerow on the downs thick 

 cushions of moss may be seen — mere sponges filled with air 

 resting upon pure broken chalk. It was accordingly decided 

 to try by experiment how the development of moss on such 



Q 2 



