The Improvement of Grass Lands. 
327 
District. County. 
Stainuioor Somersetshire. 
Cun-eymoor „ 
Staunton Common Herefordshire. 
Wintcrton Norfolk. 
Olrcdzoy Somersetshire. 
King's Sedgmoor „ 
Frodsliam Cheshire. 
Northmoor Oxfordshire. 
In some of these districts the land has been improved to the 
extent of 20s. or 30s. per acre per annum ; and I believe that 
wherever the work has been fairly and properly undertaken 
there have been only one or two failures. 
Whilst upon the question of draining, I may be allowed to 
say that I think a mistake is often made in putting the turf upon 
the pipes in the bottom of the drain. 1 believe it to be far 
preferable to put the grass on the top, and to place the spare soil 
in heaps. In a year or two the earth on the drains will settle in 
its place, and the heaps can then be carted or wheeled and 
placed on the top of the drains to fill them up to the level of 
the adjacent ground ; but too much should not be put on at one 
time, so as to kill the grass. I have seen great annoyance caused 
by the spreading of the superfluous soil, as in a few years the 
earth put upon the drains settles and leaves a " grip," or low place, 
which is very detrimental to mowing and haymaking with 
machines ; while, on the other hand, I have observed the whole 
of the soil placed on the top, and from its nature it has not 
sunk to its proper level, and has been a greater annoyance than 
if disposed of in the other way. Where the turf is placed in the 
bottom of the drains, grass-seeds should be sown on the top in 
the following spring, otherwise a considerable loss occurs, espe- 
cially on high-rented land. 
Having removed the water, or in the case of meadows not 
requiring draining, the next step (as in the cases already treated) 
will be to renovate with fresh grass-seeds. This will pay well 
upon this class of meadow and should never be omitted, as 
the outlay is not much in proportion to the value, and it gives 
so great a relish to the food that stock will always graze the 
freshly renovated land in preference to that not so treated. The 
remarks before made as to manuring also apply to the land in 
this section, but with greater force, as the returns will generally 
be greater if the suggestion previously made is kept in view, 
viz., that where the land is inclined to grow seeds more am- 
moniacal manure should be used ; and that where the herbage 
is leafy and thick and the land is not inclined to grow much 
seed, more phosphates should be employed. 
On valuable meadow-land it is also desirable to have the 
VOL. V. — S.S. Z 
