450 Report on Laying down Land to Permanent Pasture. 
ever afterwards " (p. 460). He then adds, " I think a better plan 
is for the tenant to do the work himself, as the land then remains 
as arable in the schedule of his agreement, and he can either 
plough the ground out again, or leave it to be taken at a valua- 
tion by his successor as pasture land." In the case of a lease, 
or a two years' notice to quit, the latter arrangement may be 
deemed satisfactory ; for the tenant, in ploughing his ground 
out again, would be enabled to recover part, at least, of his 
capital in the large yield of corn obtained from inexpensive 
cropping during the last years of his tenancy. " But this 
" ploughing out " would be simply running the land out to its 
former condition. As this would be injurious to the welfare of 
the farm, the landlord would probably deem it to his advantage 
to recompense the tenant, to prevent him from undoing his 
former good work. 
It is almost unnecessary to state that peculiarities of soil and 
climate are important influences controlling the amount of pas- 
turage already in existence, and determining the advisability of 
enlarging the acreage of grass land, especially by way of per- 
manent pasture. The so-called corn-growing counties are such 
because they are naturally more suited to the growth of corn 
than to that of grass, and not in consequence of local fashion or 
peculiar notions of agriculture ; and they must ever remain of 
the same relative character when compared with other parts of 
the kingdom. Climate and geological formation have prescribed 
the plan on which they are to be cultivated. Dry warm sum- 
mers, which promote the growth of wheat and barley, parch the 
unshaded soil ; and under such conditions the sun consumes 
the grass at a time when it is most needed for cattle. On 
land where heavy crops of corn are easily grown, and where 
there is a deficiency of moisture for the production of luxuriant 
grass, it would be unwise to attempt laying down any large area 
to permanent pasture. Thus, in the eastern corn-growing coun- 
ties, the increase in permanent pasture is much less than in the 
western, or grazing, counties. Indeed, if one were to judge solely 
from some of the numerous letters received from eastern counties 
correspondents (communications not included in the following 
reports), it appears that the tendency in many districts is quite 
in the contrary direction. The soil and climate of the corn 
counties, so favourable to growing large crops of cereals, stimu- 
late an increase of acreage under corn rather than under grass. 
Norfolk, for instance, is pre-eminently a corn-growing county, 
and Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., graphically illustrates the chances of 
any great alteration in the area of pastures taking place there by 
saying, " it is not likely much arable land will be turned" into 
permanent pasture, unless something dreadful happens to the 
