Report on Laying down Land to Permanent Pasture. 4:77 
rom exjjerience, but I could not recommend it to any extent upon naturally 
Iry soils, in a dry climate. I do not expect that, upon farms where turnips 
ind good seeds can be grown, more stock can be kept per acre by laying down 
my great breadth to permanent pasture ; because the extra quantity of keep 
ipon the turnips, and the first and second years' seeds, would be lost : indeed, 
ipon extremely light soils I believe much less stock would be kept. Some of 
is in this district have made an alteration in oiu" mixture of seeds for alternate 
lusbandry, with the view of letting the laud lie longer in grass ; say two, 
hree, or even four years, instead of one : and should the present high rate of 
abour and other expenses of cultivation continue, this practice may be more 
,'enerally adopted. Moreover, we find that the land is benefited by this rest 
rem constant corn-growing. 
The altered system, doubtless, has a tendency to foul the land, but we can 
emedy this by breaking up the seeds, and cleaning the land soon after 
\Iidsummer. 
The improvement of permanent grass is certainly a desirable object, and is 
it this time second to none in the agriculture of England. The difference in 
alue between good and bad, or even moderate, grass land, seems seldom 
vcpt in view. Its improvement, however, is not so often attcmiJled by tenant- 
armers as is that of their tillage land, because a longer time is required to 
)ring it about, and therefore a return for their outlay is not so quick ; so much 
nore necessity is there, then, for security of tenure. 
Liberal as our Nottingham custom of tenant-right may be upon some points, 
t would allow no compensation under this head ; and yet the letting value of 
he land might, solely through the tenant's enterprise, be increased 100 per 
•ent. To secure compensation from the incoming tenant, manurings must 
lave been very recent, and boning and draining executed within seven j'ears. 
I am inclined to believe that, although rapid progress has been made during 
he last thirty years in improving the tillage land of this county, the grass 
and, upon the whole, has not been improved at all ; but, in a great number 
if cases, it has actually gone back, and not unfrequently from that almost 
■xcusable practice of overstocking with sheep. 
Very recentlj-, however, through the introduction of cotton-cake to this 
■ountry, the system is becoming general of consuming large quantities of it, as 
veil as of linseed-cake, upon grass during the spring and summer. This, it is 
0 be hoped, will rapidly bring about a better state of things, the present high 
)rice of beef and mutton being a stimulant in this direction. The first step, 
lowevcr, towards improving grass land is the taking away, where it exists, the 
old bottom-water, as by this means the poor, worthless, sour grasses and 
ushes disappear, and a better class of herbage takes their place ; the laud may 
hen be safely treated with a liberal application of manure. 
Almost every kind of refuse-manure, which may be valueless for tillage 
and, will do good upon grass, if applied at the proper season and well harrowed 
n : by this means I have even mastered moss. Lime and bones are of 
mdoubted benefit upon many pastures ; but even these cannot be applied 
ndiscriminately ; I have used both upon some soils without being able to see 
he slightest effect. Generally speaking, there is nothing equal to farmyard- 
nanure for grass. My plan has been to use a large quantity in this way, 
ubstituting artificial manures for the roots and corn. Meadow land should 
)e mown contiimously, rather than in alternate years, the quality and quan- 
ity of the crop being maintained by either a dressing of farmyard-manure 
r artificials every season. 
I consider that, in time, much will be done in suitable situations by the 
torage of water, and working it on the " catch-water " system. 
; John Hejislet. 
