The Management of Grass Land. 
17 
eradicate the coarser grasses. Moss is a very common enemy to 
the dry upland meadows ; it is checked by harrowing and by a 
good supply of manure, the one process obstructing the onward 
progress of the moss, the other stimulating the grasses to overcome 
or suffocate their enemy. It is most known upon poor soils, but 
rarely upon rich pastures. Rolling, and top- dressings of lime 
and salt, are frequently used for destroying it. Ant-hills occur 
more upon these soils than upon others, though they are quickly 
checked by throwing, or gelding, if operated upon in time. 
On those fields which are most subject to them, the heavy iron 
roller should be run over them at least once a year: rolling, how- 
ever, may be carried too far, and the surface-soil become as it were 
set or hide-bound ; in such case harrowing is adopted with suc- 
cess, particularly when applied previous to a manuring. 
In the midland counties, upon such farms as have only a small 
proportion of arable land, it is the practice to eat the hay upon 
the land (or adjacent fields) where it grew : in such cases, we 
find on retentive soils, that when depastured with cattle or horses 
in wet seasons, the grass receives much injury from their feet, and 
becomes what is usually termed poached. Thus, when filled with 
water, the herbage is destroyed, and the ground becomes chilled 
and injured around it. Hence it is desirable to allow such mea- 
dows to remain until the dry spring months set in, before their 
produce is consumed. Excess of rolling upon such soils, when in 
a wet or moist state, produces similar effects, but of course in an- 
other shape. 
The manures or dressings applied to the upland meadows are 
various, both in regard to their qualities and time of application. 
Upon this subject a diversity of opinion prevails amongst even the 
best managers. In the neighbourhood of large towns the dressings 
are usually laid on about Michaelmas, while the land is suflficiently 
dry to carry the carts, and when, as they have it, the season has 
so far advanced as not to exhale the volatile parts of the dung. 
Some prefer its application directly after mowing, which is said 
to be the " good old time ;" while others lay it on at times when 
the meadows are closed for hay, and when they can best be spared. 
I believe either plan to be good, provided the meadows get a good 
dressing once a year. Well-rotted dung or compost is preferred. 
In some districts it is the practice to mow two fields alternately, 
by which means parties state that the one year's depasturing or 
eatage sufficiently recovers the land for mowing again the following 
year without the aid of manure. 
Water-meadows are those artificially formed for the purpose of 
irrigation : by this means many hitherto neglected districts have 
become exceedingly valuable ; they serve as the key of depend- 
ence to whole occupations when once formed. The first outlay 
VOL. IX. c 
