258 
On Laying down Land to Permanent Grass. 
for it as sheep, but before the autumn comes it will be found 
closely eaten. 
Plantain {^Plantago lanceolatd) is recommended by many people, 
but I never could see that it is anything but an encumbrance. 
My experience leads me to think that the plants favourably 
noticed above are those best fitted for forming permanent pasture. 
The quantity of seeds to be sown requires only to be varied accord- 
ing to the soil and requirements of each case ; if the pastures 
already formed contain the later grasses, then a larger proportion 
of the earlier grasses may be used in the newly-formed pasture. 
By careful feeding, the growth of particular grasses may be 
encouraged, because although these better grasses are liked by 
sheep, yet sheep have a preference for each at particular periods 
of the year, varying according to the season ; and those who study 
carefully the habits of grasses can, by shifting the sheep and by 
not stocking the ground too hard, allow any grass to seed. This 
remark refers only to meadows composed solely of good grasses ; 
for in meadows where there is an abundance of bad grasses, 
sheep prefer the better kinds, even when they are not in per- 
fection, to the bad grasses when they are in perfection. 
There are two other grasses which can hardly be classed as 
bad or good, and which are probably found in sufficient quan- 
tities amongst seed without especially sowing. These are sweet 
vernal (^Anthoxanthum odoratum) and tall oat-grass {^Holcus acen- 
aceus) ; the former of these grasses is strongly aromatic in smell 
and taste ; the latter extremely bitter. Should any one wish 
to be convinced how great the difference is among grasses, 
he should satisfy himself by tasting these two grasses and cocks- 
foot, and if he can readily discriminate between the three, it is 
easy to conceive the difference there must be to herbivorous 
animals like sheep. 
Barley-grass (Hordeum pratense) is another grass that requires 
a passing notice. From its frequency in valuable pastures, and 
from its easily recognised habit, it has gained a reputation it 
does not deserve, for although its leaves have valuable properties, 
the seed-heads are covered with sharp horns, which render it 
dangerous to sheep and very objectionable in hay. This grass 
grows also on chalky banks, but on such soils it seems useless. 
To lay down to permanent pasture it is necessary to get good 
seed of the kinds recommended. The results will then be more 
or less good in accordance with the richness of the land and the 
amount of stimulating food that is given to the sheep that feed 
on it, or the amount of manure that is put on it ; the richer the 
land and the more highly farmed the more evident the grasses 
will be, but once established, the permanent grasses will not 
disappear. 
