Report on Laying doton Land to Permanent Pasture. Abb 
to get away, and the roots of the grass to get down, otherwise they will pene- 
trate so far and no farther, and then all the top-dressing in the world will be of 
no use ; the plants, with the exception, perhaps, of a few shallow-rooted ones, 
which are not worth keeping alone, will sicken and eventually die. 
I have tried sowing down with rape, but do not like this plan. The best 
way is to sow with a corn-crop, and then top-dress the seeds with the proceeds 
thereof. I like to sow the grass-seeds in April,' light and heavy together, with 
the broadcast drill, half one way, and the rest across them. I can strongly 
recommend the following mixture : — 
4 lbs. Cowgrass. 2 lbs. Sheep's Fescue 
3- .. White Clover. 2 „ Meadow do 
2 „ Eed do. 
2 „ Trefuil. 
3 „ Timothy. 
3 ,, Cocksfoot. 
7T 
2 „ Smooth-stalked Meadow-grass. 
bush. Italian Rye-grass. 
l| „ Perennial do. 
As regards the treatment of young seeds, I would apply in the autumn 
8 to 10 tons of farmyard-manure per acre : then in April, or early in May, 
top-dress with f cwt. nitrate of soda, 3 cwt. kainit, and 2 cwt. bone-super- 
phosphate. By all means mow the first year, as by letting the clover and 
grasses grow a good height the roots get a proportionate hold of the ground ; 
after this depasture with sheep, but do not eat too bare. Land recently 
laid down requires most attention during the third and fourth years, as 
the artificial grasses are then giving way, and those indigenous to the soil 
have not got established. At this time, if the land does not graze equally, I 
would mow, and return to the land an equivalent in manure — farmyard if it 
can be spared. By this means you obtain a more close and even sward than 
by any other method. No doubt the land here is better adapted for grass 
than for ploughing ; but if all were laid down we should be short of winter- 
keep, and be forced to market with our stock in the autumn no matter how bad 
the prices. A breeding-farm should carry about the same number of stock ia 
winter as in summer, so as to enable the farmer to take advantage of good 
markets, or to hold on if they are bad. 
Strong land, taking the year roimd, will produce the most grass ; therefore I 
should select such for laying down, especially as lignter soils will throw equally 
good crops of both corn and roots, with one-third less labour. Strong laud, in 
this rainy climate, cannot be too well drained either for corn-growing or 
grazing ; more especiallj- the latter, as the drier the land is the sooner the 
snow disappears, and the earlier in the spring does the grass begin to grow ; 
and not only so, but, owing to the increased temperature of the soil, the bite 
is sweeter, .and consequently more fattening. 
As regards grasses under rotation, I now let these lie as long as they seem 
disposed to graze well, and, in view of this, I have added cocksfoot, fescttes, 
and Timothy, to my mixture of seeds, and substituted cow-grass for red clover : 
and I find that strong land in good heart cleans itself by lying green side up. 
I have done a good deal to my pastures in the way of applying bones 
(half-inch hones fermented, or made more readily soluble by liquid manure 
Irom the tanks), and by eating corn and cake upon them b}' sheep. 
I use portable manures chiefly for the turnip-crops, as I consider they are of 
more benefit when buried than when sown on the surface, and I put the farm- 
yard-manure on the grass lands. 
James C. Bowstead. 
