The Improvement of Grass Lands. 
335 
Wood Meadow Grass [Poa nemoralis), is also a good grass 
for orchards or places shaded by trees, as it thrives where other 
kinds will not grow, and produces a good deal of superior 
herbage. ^ lb. will be sufficient for mixtures. 
Meadow Fescue (^Festuca pratensis), is one that should not 
be left out of the mixture, as it is adapted to most soils, and 
produces a quantity of grass. It is extensively found upon 
our fatting pastures. Most kinds of stock are fond of it, but it 
does best on the richest soils. 1 lb. per acre may be used with 
advantage. 
Crested Dog's-tail (Cynosurus cristatus) may also be used in 
the mixture to the extent of J lb. to the acre. There is not so 
much to be said in favour of this as of most of the other kinds. 
It is more commonly known as the bent, although, I believe, the 
term " bent " amongst farmers implies any grass seed-stem. 
There are several other grasses which may be used with 
advantage, together with red clover, cow-grass, white or Dutch 
clover, and trefoil, as circumstances will admit ; but I do not 
attach so much importance to the use of clovers for renovating, 
as I should for laying down to permanent pasture, and as the 
laying to permanent pastures do not come so prominently forward 
in this Essay as improvement of grass land, I shall not further 
notice them. 
Most of the kinds of grasses mentioned can be had at from 9c?. 
to Is. per lb., and a mixture of 6 to 8 lbs. per acre will be suffi- 
cient for renovating. 
Before concluding this Essay it may be well to mention that 
the most difficult portion to treat, is that of manuring. It is one 
on which I have had a good deal of experience. I have seen 
bones applied and produce no good whatever ; and, on the other 
hand, 1 have seen them used with immense advantage. On the 
other hand, I have seen guano used and produce a splendid 
crop that year, while the year following the crop has been worse 
than before the guano was applied. 
It is impossible to give any definite rules for guidance without 
knowing the kind of land to be manured and other attendant 
circumstances. Therefore I can only reiterate what I have 
before stated, that in proportion as the land is inclined to grow 
benty or stalky grass, inclined for seed, ammoniacal manures 
should be used ; if the land produces thick short leafy herbage, 
then phosphatic manures must be applied ; I cannot do better 
than conclude in the words of Mr. Thompson (vol. xix.) : " I 
would state my decided conviction, the result of twenty years' 
experience, that money judiciously laid out in the improvement 
of grass land brings in a more certain return than where expended 
in the growth of corn. It is not, as in that case, liable to great 
