494 Report on Laying down Land to Permanent Pasture. 
from the fact that grass laud requires more capital to stock it than woulj 
suflBce for corn-growing. Where I have found any tenant willing to lay 
down land, it has been my practice to pay for the permanent grass-seeds on. 
his purchasing the needful clovers. 
Egbert Woodw.\rd. 
15. Whitfield. 
I farm, as agent to the Eev. Archer Clive, 1100 acres, which consist mostly 
of red loam for about 8 inches, then a subsoil of hard marl. Some portion con- 
sists of limestone substratum, and some parts of gravelly subsoil. I commenced 
laying down permanent srass about the year 1860, but not to any extent. Since 
then I have laid down 41 acres, the causes of my doing so being that it lay close- 
to woods subject to much game, and that the soil was very thin. At that time- 
I only farmed 800 acres, divided into arable land, 321 acres ; meadow and per- 
manent pasture, 479 acres. The 41 acres I cultivated under turnips. In 
my opinion, land for grazing should not be overd rained, but the springs sliould 
be taken away. I sow light and heavy seeds separately, about April, and 
have always left the selection to Messrs. Wheeler, of Gloucester, first having 
explained the nature of the soil. I sow without a grain crop, with a fair 
sprinkling of rape to hurdle the sheep on in autumn. I have usually dressed 
the land the second year with dissolved bones, or other grass-manure, and 
have allowed the seeds to get over-ripe, and mowed them to seed the laud. 
In my opinion it is a bad plan to graze with sheep. Cattle and colts are 
much better. I find this mode of farming pays better than tillage, though in 
my case little was saved from horse labour, owing to the small quantity 
laid down. For several years I obtained little increase of stock, now it is 
improving yearly, and I have increased my sheep stock. Land in our 
district does not usually lay down welL On the arable land I find seeds 
do not pay to leave more than two years. My present rotation is(l) turnips 
or swedes, (2) barley or oats, (3) clover, (4) wheat ; and if the land is in 
good condition, oats after wheat. I have increased my sheep and cattle 
stock, say, the sheep Tj per cent., and I rear 5 calves more yearly, though I 
do not think my profits have increased from laying down. This land does 
not easily get foul. I have done little to improve my grass lands. We are- 
bad grass farmers in this district, and too far from towns to obtain manure. 
I usually mow the same fields every year. 
Thomas Oldaker, 
Agent to Rtv. Archer Clive. 
16. POULTON, CrICKLADE. 
I rent on lease, without tenant-right, 297 acres — 117 pasture, and 180 
arable. The soil is Oxford clay, with the exception of 30 acres of cornbrash. 
Our average rainfall is 2G'47 inches. I have not laid down permanent grass 
or changed my system of management. I think that grass land should be as 
thoroughly drained as arable. I drained, on taking my farm, all the pasture 
land requiring it, at, on an average, 18 yards apart, and have, since that time, 
on taking a new lease, put intermediate drains between those previously cut, 
which had for some time been less efficient, in consequence of the subsoil 
having become more compact. 
With a view to improve pasture, I invariably give cake or corn to stock on 
grass. I have used both superphosphate and nitrate of soda on grass laud, 
but have not derived such benefit from the application as would induce me \*: 
