60 
Recent Improvements in Haymaking. 
Looking at the subject in this light, we have no hesitation in 
saying that as much improvement has taken place of late in this 
direction as in the simple manufacture of the produce. This 
progress we specially owe to the contributions of Messrs. Lawes and 
Gilbert to the Journal ; a few years ago, it was scarcely recognised 
that both the quantity and quality of the hay crop are pretty much in 
the farmer's own hands. Put on ammoniacal manures, and you get 
a strong bulky produce, in which the ranker grasses predominate. 
Apply phosphatic dressings, and the clovers and finer grasses 
presently appear. Prepare a combination of the two, and a 
desirable result should follow.* Our manure manufacturers of 
repute, who have characters to lose, do this ready to our hand ; 
and there can be no great hazard in putting on from 20s. to 30s. 
worth of such dressings per acre — in damp weather in February 
or March — whilst the prospect of a profitable return is highly 
encouraging. This refers to grass land which receives such 
applications regularly, or which is otherwise in good condition ; 
with exhausted soils, more liberal treatment is required. 
The following plan has been tried here extensively, and in- 
variably with satisfactory results. Draw out a dunghill about 
Christmas, containing 300 yards of good yard-manure. Throw 
up in a heap six feet high, and mix with one ton of Peruvian 
guano, two tons half-inch bones, and two tons of salt. Turn a 
time or two, till the whole becomes a rich saponaceous mass. 
Then cart on the turf not later than February ; apply to twenty 
acres — spread, chain-harrow, and spread again. After a week 
or two little will be seen of it ; but at hay-time, as well as on the 
aftermath, the results are readily visible. Similarly, by the 
application of hot lime at from one to two tons per acre, on 
pieces of sour grasses, or under trees where the Dactylis (jlomerata 
abounds in all its coarse luxuriance, much improvement in the 
herbage is produced. 
Some meadows also get into such a worn-out condition, full of 
moss and dry " bents," or stalks (which will take no heat in the 
rick though carried apparently much too soon), that something 
more is needed than the mere application of manure. Besides 
renovating the soil, the seeds of the right plants must be restored. 
We have for the past few years thus applied some quantity of 
seeds every spring. The change is evident. A gentleman who 
has had much experience in this line states his opinion that 
* Witli reference to this assertion in the text, Mr. Lawes says — " The term 
qnnUtij must, however, be restricted to the superiority of the clovers and finer 
sorts of grasses to the coarser sorts of grasses. I do not think that we can, by any 
system of manuring, produce pasture on land of inferior quality, which shall have 
the fattening qualities of grass grown on laud of the best quality," 
