492 On the Advantage of converting Cold Clay Arable Land 
lost capital, and the condition of their farms has undoubtedly 
retrograded in the past twenty years. 
]My friend, convinced of the advantage of dealing with poor 
clay in the way described, has purchased at a moderate price 
a small neighbouring farm, which hung on the market in con- 
sequence of its unprofitable arable land. He ai once com- 
menced seeding the arable land with permanent seeds without a 
corn-crop, top-dressing the voung seeds with nitrate of soda 
and superphosphate, and grazing the produce with young cattle 
consuming decorticated cotton-cake. He intends keeping the 
land in his own occupation until the turf is well established by 
a continuance, for a few vears, of this very liberal treatment. 
The example of farm management which I have described 
appears to me very suggestive of the way in which some of the 
land now sorely needing improvement, and a continual source 
of loss to the occupier, may be placed in a state more satisfactory 
to both him and the owner. Wherever there are any farm- 
fields in tillage which are at all adapted for pasture, and the 
average crops of which, under good cultivation, do not pay ex- 
penses, their permanent seeding should be attempted, the only 
alternative being planting with timber. When seeded down 
properly such fields are always of some value for pasturage, and 
they may be occupied with' very little outlay in labour. With 
a liberal and continuous expenditure in manures and feeding- 
stuffs consumed by the stock grazing such land, the improve- 
ment, though in many cases slow, is sure. 
Unfortunately there are but few tenants in the occupation of 
such farms who have the necessary capital, the knowledge, and 
the confidence in the permanency of their holdings to dispose 
them to carry out unaided such great permanent improvements 
as are involved in the thorough performance of this work. 
Landowners should take every means to encourage those tenants 
who are able and willing to carry out this work. 
jNo agricultural custom or agreement that I have yet seen 
suflficiently recognises the great value of such work as the con- 
version of poor unprofitable clay arable into productive pasture. 
There are often allowances more than enough for marling, 
liming, or dressing with undissolved bones, which, tliough 
doubtless valuable improvements on special soils, are always 
costly, and on unsuitable soils often unremunerative. 
Such work as that I have described, by which, in fifteen or 
twenty years, the actual agricultural value of the fields treated may 
l)e increased 20/. to 30/. per acre, and the letting value doubled, 
should be appreciated at its true value by landlords and their agents. 
It must not be forgotten that the tenant who makes a large outlay 
in this work can only reap a due return very slowly, and is 
