232 On haying doion Land to Permanent Grass. 
proportions of this Italian rye-grass recommended in some of 
their mixtures, it is not to be wondered at, in my judgment, if 
disappointment should follow the adoption of their advice. It 
is curious, that although they, like all others, speak highly of 
cocksfoot, they nevertheless recommend a quantity comparatively 
small, — 4 lbs. being the most recommended in any mixture for 
one acre. Again they say, page 28, " perennial rye-grass is 
necessary in all mixtures for permanent pastures." 
Their preliminary remarks respecting the preparation of the 
land may be read with advantage. I must, however, quote 
the following passage referring to the seeding of grass lands : — 
Messrs. Carter say (page 6) : " We have occasionally seeded 
down pastures, &c., in prominent public positions (notably at the 
Kilburn and Carlisle shows of the Royal Agricultural Society, 
the Paris, Sydney, Vienna, Melbourne, and other Exhibitions, 
&c.), which were admired for their compactness and general 
excellence, and when asked to explain how such a thick sward 
may be produced in so short a time, the explanation is fine 
tilth, good heart, cleanliness, and liberal seeding as the main 
requisites ; and the more important points in which our treat- 
ment differs from ordinary methods, in addition to the above, 
lie in a careful adaptation of the seeds to the peculiar physical 
formation of the soil and the judicious proportion of quantities." 
A rather different, and in my opinion a more correct, ex- 
planation of these admired show samples is given in the 
Report on the Showyard at Derby by the Senior Steward, pub- 
lished in the last number of this 'Journal,' p. 545, to which 
I ask the especial attention of the reader. 
In Messrs. Carter's account of the after-management of newly- 
formed grass lands, they recommend mowing grass and deprecate 
the feeding off of newly formed pastures by sheep ; in this point 
my experience differs from theirs. Messrs. Carter state " sheep 
reject the coarser grasses and pick out the finer kinds" (page 8). 
I cannot too strongly insist on the fact, that among the best 
feeding grasses are some of strong and "coarse" habit, while 
among the finer kinds many worthless grasses are to be found. 
Messrs. Carter's account of the geological formation of soils 
may be interesting and perhaps useful, but my experience is 
that disappointment will follow if the seeds they recommend 
are sown, however carefully. All their instructions, respecting 
sowing and, as I have already said, the preparation of the soil, 
may be carried out with advantage. 
The Messrs. J. C. Wheeler and Son, in their ' Book on 
Grasses,' lay great stress on the judicious selection of seed, for 
they hold that unless this is done, although the crop may appear 
luxuriant, it will soon show signs of deterioration, " as the 
artificial grasses die out before the natural grasses are esta- 
