The Management of Grass Land. 
23 
eflFecting a speedy recovery after mowing : in the former case all 
chance of seeing the bottom-grass is given up until the succeeding 
spring, when, if again mown, it adds to the accumulating injury 
sustained ; and these meadows eventually become worn out by 
mowing, and consequently much reduced in value. Hence it 
follows that lands are better when mown alternately with others, 
.as they recover themselves during the year they are depastured, 
and then require less manure. It is quite certain (the result of 
practice) that all lands which have been mown require extra close 
feeding to subdue the stubble formed by mowing, and to cause 
the natural grasses to resume their former habit. The after- 
grass upon the cool or marshy meadows is widely different from the 
upland meadows, as their produce is of a coarse character, and 
not to be injured by mowing, but rather accelerated; yet if not 
eaten down, as required by the former, the grasses gradually get 
sour and coarser in their herbage. Close feeding at least once 
a year is essential to all grasses. 
The eradication of weeds, such as the common thistle, the large 
or spud thistle, nettles, rushes, hassocks, and moss, is a point 
deserving much attention. 
In cleaning land of the common thistle, which abounds to excess 
in some localities, one of two certain modes is adopted by the best 
managers, according to the custom of the country. One plan is to 
have them drawn or pulled up by the roots twice a-year (the first 
time of going over them being about the end of May, the second 
time either just before harvest or directly after, according to local 
circumstances) ; the other plan is to spud or hoe them up below 
the knot or first joint of the thistle ; by this means each thistle is 
destroyed. The time of performing this work is the same in boih 
cases as that of drawing them. 
Where disappointment occurs after spudding or hoeing, it is 
in consequence of the work of eradication not being done pro- 
perly. Those thistles which have been cut off above the knot 
throw up an increased number of fresh shoots, while those cut 
below are certain to decay. Some farmers think it best to allow 
the thistles to remain until they are ready to flower, they are then 
mown and raked up and carried away ; this, however, is by no 
means an example for good and clean husbandry, though it is 
argued that by this process the water gets into the crown of the 
thistle that remains, and it is thus destroyed. 
On meadow lands which are annually mown it is a rare occur- 
rence to find a thistle : this would apparently go to support the 
previous plan of allowing them to be full grown before mown. 
Yet in practice, where the plan is adopted on pasture lands we 
find them far from free, indeed but little changed, while the two 
former plans certainly effect a clearance. 
