38-i 
The Herbage of Pastures. 
No. 77. — A turf from the " poisoned land of Meath," also sent, on behalf of 
the Hon. H. C. Plunkett, by Mr. Thomas Barton, who writes (Feb. 1889): — 
"I have sent you a sod 12 in. x 12 in. x 12 in., taken from what is 
known as the poisoned land of Dunsany, thus called from the way it 
affects horses or horned stock when fed alone upon it. You will perceive the 
white marl at the bottom of the sod. This marl is found in this position 
whenever the cattle have been affected. Horses confined to graze upon 
this land will lose their hoofs, and all hair will fall from their manes and 
tails. Horned stock will lose their hoofs, and become unthrifty — in fact, 
will suffer severely from what is termed here a dry murrain. It also affects 
barndoor and wild fowl, as birds from their eggs are mostly deformed 
when hatched. I have had six horses idle for six months through losiDg 
their hoofs, caused by eating after-grass on this land during the months of 
August and September. This bad land — about 50 Irish acres — now forms 
part of a division of 120 Irish acres. The 70 acres added is very good 
land, and allows the fifty to be more profitably grazed than heretofore. 
It throws up an abundance of coarse herbage, which is not consumed until 
we have had some frost upon it. During the summer months it is quite 
remarkable to see the good land closely grazed, and the remainder like a 
meadow. This land, under tillage, grows enormous crops of roots — 
mangel, carrots, and turnips ; the t wo former are consumed by cattle 
without any ill effects, but the turnips produce costiveness, as also does 
the hay grown upon it. Fifteen years ago, before these two divisions were 
joined together, it was impossible to keep the stock in health if they were 
kept for over a month on the affected parts — their noise, and position along 
the fences, wanting to get forth, were a warning to the herd. We are 
enclosing a portion of it this year to make ensilage of, which, I fear, will 
not be first class, as the herbage is very coarse." 
The depth of this specimen was thirteen inches. The upper eight inches 
consisted of a dark brown, friable loam, somewhat peaty, resting upon two 
inches of quite black loam : and this upon three inches of whitish, or putty- 
coloured marl, slightly shelly. 
The colour of the herbage was strikingly bluish-green, known to botanists 
by the term glaucous. It was, moreover, seen from the outset to consist 
very largely of Dactylis glomerata, and this would account for the coarse 
herbage to which Mr. Barton refers in his letter. The turf was mown on 
July 25, and gave : — 
Gramineous herbage, 97 | Leguminous, 2 | Miscellaneous, 1. 
Trifolium repens was the leguminous species, and the miscellaneous 
herbage was made up of Cerastium and Potentilla. The grasses were: — 
Dactylis glomerata G8 ' Agrostis stolonifera .... 3 
No. 78. — A turf from the famous Ourragb of Kildare. It was dug nine 
inches deep, and showed no traces of root-fibres on the lower face. The soil 
was a reddish-brown, friable, sandy loam. From the commencement, and 
throughout its growth, the turf presented the characteristic features of Down 
herbage. It, was not mown till August 20, and the herbage was so exceed- 
ingly close that it was difficult to cut it. The proximate analysis gave: — 
Gramineous herbage, 40 | Leguminous, 1 | Miscellaneous, 59. 
The small percentage of leguminous herbage was made up of Trifolium 
repens and Lotus coruiculatus, with a trace of Trifolium minus. 
Festuca ovina et var. 
Holcus lanatus . . 
Festuca pratensis . 
