504 Report on Laying down land to Permanent Pasture. 
due to mechanical condition." In reference to this period of 
the year and stage of growth, he also adds : " No stock should 
be allowed on unless the seeds be very big, and then only light 
mouths, as lambs and calves, should be run over. If a light 
coat of foldyard-manure can be spared, the same may be applied 
in winter and carefully spread ; but, as the lumps of manure are 
often injurious to the delicate seeds, I prefer an artificial dressing,, 
such as soluble phosphate, potash, and ammoniacal salts, applied 
in spring" (p. 459). This advice may be considered sound and 
practical at all points. If the land is in good heart by previous 
manuring and preparation, and the seed-plants abundant, it 
would appear unnecessary to manure in the autumn of the first 
year ; whilst a top-dressing with artificial manures in the spring 
is easily applied, and promotes a rapid, strong growth of grass, 
either for hay or for grazing with young stock, such as will well 
repay the outlay. Presuming then that by this means a good crop 
is produced during the summer, henceforward the land requires 
great attention to prevent the artificial grasses from gradually dis- 
appearing before the natural grasses are established. A heavj- 
dressing of farmyard-manure or compost is generally recom- 
mended in the fall of the year, and the application of bones, 
ground or dissolved, or of a mixture of potash salts and nitro- 
genous manures during the next few years, as occasion may 
require. Mr. Sample so well prepares his land, and lays it down 
in such good heart, that he has not found that " any assistance was 
needed for five or six years " (p. 462). So much depends upon the 
preparation of the soil, its retentive character, and its natural 
tendency to run into grass, that no fixed rule is applicable in all 
cases. But it is generally necessary, as well as advantageous, 
to treat the land liberally with farmyard and other manures 
frequently during the extended period in which Mr. Sample 
finds it do sufficiently well without any attention whatever. The 
majority of the witnesses, in accordance with the experience of 
most farmers in almost all districts, consider that the critical 
period commences after the second or third year ; and it is at 
this time that the artificial grasses should be refreshed with 
manure, and the growth of natural grasses encouraged by the 
same means. 
The consumption of artificial foods on the land by the grazing 
stock is one of the most effectual means of manuring the soil. 
In accordance with the teaching of the chemist, the manure 
derived from decorticated cotton-cake proves to be of high value, 
and feeding cattle and sheep with this substance on grass land 
is highly recommended by several. In improving permanent 
grass Mr. Caulcutt finds " nothing to equal decorticated cotton- 
cake given to our sheep and beasts " (p. 490). On good soils 
