328 
The Improvement of Grass Lands. 
droppings of the animals spread, or removed to heaps, once 
every fortnight ; as when left for a time it destroys the grass, 
and the loss from it is considerable if the head of stock kept is 
numerous and the land is valuable. Rooks and some other birds, 
to some extent, do this spreading gratuitously ; still the work is 
one that will well repay attention. 
Having dealt with each of the three classes of meadow-land, 
I will now proceed to notice a few general points in connexion 
with the subject and applicable to portions of land in each 
class. 
Most farmers use steam thrashing-machines, and the chaff 
often lies in the rickyard for some time after thrashing. This 
chaff generally contains a lot of seeds of weeds, which when 
taken (as is generally the case) to the foldyard, and afterwards 
thrown back upon the arable land with the foldyard -manure, 
occasion great mischief. I would recommend that the chaff be 
taken at once and spread upon the meadow-land. It need not 
be rotten for that purpose, and it will improve the meadow-land, 
where the weeds will decamp after a year or so, and save the 
propagation of weeds upon the arable-land. 
Another point much insisted upon by writers on improvement 
of meadow-land is the use of rotten dung, and some recommend 
its not being applied during the summer. I believe I am right 
in stating that it matters little when it is applied. It will always 
do good, and may as safely be applied in summer as in winter, 
rotten or raw ; but, of course, the more rotten its state the more 
in quantity is ])ractically put on in proportion, and the quicker 
are its effects seen. But Dr. Voelcker has shown that nothing 
is gained by placing farmyard-manure in heaps to ferment, and 
that much loss may result from it ; therefore, it is better to put 
it on at once in its raw state, care being taken, if the meadow is 
to be mown, that sufficient time is given for the long manure to 
be well worked down before the grass is left for mowing. The 
whole of the meadow-land should be well rolled and harrowed 
once every year. The month of February is a good time for 
this purpose and is a leisure period, but if the soil is of a reten- 
tive nature the rolling should not be done when the land is 
very wet. 
The following is a mode I can stiongly recommend for im- 
proving meadow-land, viz., to haul the roots off the arable land 
and consume them on the meadows, folding the sheep on a fresh 
portion every day, in the same way as the light-land farmer 
consumes the roots on his arable land, giving the sheep some 
cake, or corn, or dry food. I am satisfied that this is a good plan 
for adoption on heavy land, and I believe it may be profitably 
