The Improvement of Grass Lands. 
333 
can often be adopted at an outlay of a few pounds per acre, 
being formed on hill sides or sloping meadows. Wherever 
water-cresses are to be found in a stream, the water will contain 
lime and be good for irrigation. The streams running from the 
farm-buildings should in all cases receive more attention than 
is now given to them, and be led to the meadow land, where a 
little labour and attention would be abundantly rewarded, as 
almost all water will do good. In many cases, however, the water 
is left on and starves the land. The better the water, the longer 
it may be left on with impunity, and even with advantage. 
The fourth system of irrigation above enumerated is a very 
important one, and in flood times, when the waters are swollen, 
and thick and muddy with soil and manure from high lands, the 
neglect to turn these streams over the meadow land is unpardon- 
able. This may sometimes be done by providing a flood gate 
in the brook, and often the only trouble or expense is the first 
turning the water out. I have seen wonderful improvements 
made by this simple proceeding. I cannot do better than quote 
a few passages from a paper by Mr. Pusey, M.P. (vol. x.), who 
shows (p. 474) that two acres of water-meadow land kept 73 sheep 
for five months, or 36 sheep per acre ; and in summing up (p. 
478), he says, " I have proved what I set out by promising, that 
money expended on catch-meadows may pay 30 or even 50 per 
cent., and as the work is done by contract, there can be no error 
as to its cost. In any branch of manufacture, to prove this fact 
would be to ensure its immediate accomplishment. If such a 
profit were likely to arise from cutting through the isthmus 
of Suez or Panama, the canals would be dug at once. Much 
more persuasion 1 know is needed in stimulating landlords to 
the improvement of even English estates. I will only say that 
it is mainly these catch-meadows which enable me to keep a 
flock of 550 ewes, and winter their lambs also, on nearly the 
same farm on which my predecessor kept 170 ewes and their 
lambs." 
Messrs. Wheeler and Son, well-known seedsmen, of Gloucester, 
have made what I believe to be a very important step towards im- 
provement in laying down to permanent grass, by supplying to 
each geological formation the grasses suitable for that forma- 
tion. They publish a list of those they consider suitable to each. 
This may appear to the superficial observer a matter of little 
moment, but when it comes to be well considered it will be 
regarded as of vast importance. We know that trees and large 
plants thrive best on those soils which contain their constituent 
parts in the greatest abundance, and the neglect of similar con- 
siderations as to the grasses, may, 1 think, account for the 
difference to be observed in the meadows of the different forma- 
