Report on Laying down Land to Permanent Pasture. 503 
lie sows the seeds without a crop in the middle of July, and 
applies at the same time 15 cwt. of bones per acre. The esti- 
mate appears to be excessive, unless there are some special features 
in his process not fully explained in his communication. Where 
drainage must be undertaken and summer-fallows difficult of 
cultivation must be worked, it is easy to see how even a greater 
expense may have to be incurred ; under ordinary circumstances, 
it should not cost so much. What it should cost depends chieflv 
on the character of the soil ; and the most costly process is not 
necessarily the best in all cases. 
The proper after-treatment of seeds is not less important 
than the thorough preparation of the land for their reception, 
and the conditions under which they are sown. There is a want 
of unanimity of opinion here as elsewhere amongst the corre- 
spondents. Most of them advocate mowing in the first season. 
Of these, again, the majority prefer mowing early or before the 
grasses have ripened, whilst a few leave them to get fully ripe, 
with a view partly to the re-seeding of the ground. There is no 
doubt that tlie grasses, having grown to full size previous to 
mowing, develop a stronger root-growth. If not mown earlv, 
however, there is a probability that the larger, stronger plants 
may outgrow and injure those of a finer character. The plan 
recommended by Mr. Martin Sutton is to mow twice during 
the first year, the first time as early as possible, maintaining that 
" this frequent cutting checks the stronger grasses, and affords 
the more slender-growing kinds a better chance, and all are 
encouraged to tiller out and form a close sward." Depasturing 
with sheep the first season is recommended by several, but 
almost always accompanied with a caution not to graze the land 
, too bare. Sheep are inclined to eat the grasses too closely, and 
therefore several gentlemen (one would think very properly) 
prefer stocking the ground with young cattle, with the addition, 
in some cases, of horses. Possibly grazing with mixed stock — 
a run with sheep (young lambs in preference to those of an older 
age), alternately with cattle and colts, may be safely recom- 
mended in the majority of cases. For the different kinds of 
stock having different tastes, one class of animals will consume 
those grasses rejected, or at least neglected, by the others, and 
prevent the patchy appearance common when only one kind of 
stock is depastured. When the pasture, in succeeding years, 
, has become well-established it matters little what animals graze 
it, as long as it is liberally treated with manures to keep it in 
an uniformly good condition, if not to rapidly improve it. 
1 It would seem advisable, especially on light soil, to roll the 
seeds with a heavy roller in the autumn of the first year, for, as 
Mr. John Coleman remarks, " much of the failure of clover is 
I 
