Heceiit Exi^eriences in laying down Land to Grass. 133 
l^For Schedule of Questions, see page 126.] 
Mr. a. Curteis Neve — continued. 
its third year a dressing of eighteen loads of good dung has been profitably 
applied. 
9. The ryegrass which was included in the above seed mixture has not 
disappeared as yet ; and I neither expect it to, as I find a large percentage 
of ryegrass in many of our best permanent pastures which have been down 
for upwards of forty years. 
10. I have not noticed any diminution in the clover plant. 
11. Varies according to the character of the first two seasons after sow- 
ing. Usually it takes from four to six years. 
12. I have not any personal experience of this, but I have observed in 
neighbouring self-sown pastures an excessive quantity of worthless grasses : 
agrostis vulgaris (bent-grass), bromus mollis (soft brome), holcus lanatus 
(meadow sol't-grass), catabrosa aquatica (creeping water-grass), and carna- 
tion-grass, which are intermixed with poa trivialis (rough stalked meadow- 
grass), poa annua (annual meadow-grass), with a few others. 
13. It certainly causes a reduction in population, but sufficient has not 
been laid down to make an appreciable difference ia this particular district. 
14. Having taken great care, and having gone to considerable expense in 
laying down pastm-es, I prefer to leave them for a permanency. 
15. We occupy over a thousand acres of pasture, including some of the 
best fattening land in Romney Marsh ; having one field which will fatten 
ten or twelve sheep to the acre for the summer months. During the last five 
years I have kept up sixty distinct plots of grasses, clovers, &c., for the pur- 
pose of watching closely the habits of these plants. I may add that a few 
fields which were sown down with seedsmen's advertised mixtures some 
fourteen years ago are now practically worthless as pastures, and we are 
about to plough them up and re-sow them. 
Mr, John Glutton, WiiteJudl Place. 
2. If the land is heavy clay, or it has suffered from the wet, it has been 
pipe-drained, but I do not thinlf it necessary that the lines of pipes should 
be laid so close together as in the case of arable land. 
4. I make a practice of selecting my mixture of seeds to suit the parti- 
cular district, and have the seeds supplied by a reliable seedsman accord- 
ingly. 
5. I exclude ryegi-ass, as I am unable to obtain with certainty perennial 
ryegrass, except in some few rare cases. 
6. I prefer sowing without a corn crop. I have found it a good plan to 
sow the grass seeds with about .3 lbs. of rape-seed per acre. 
7. I do not give a preference to either. The season for sowing depends 
much upon the ch'cumstances of each case. I have had favourable results 
from autumn sowings, particularly upon clay lands. 
8. I usually mow the seeds in the first year, and dress with farmyard 
manure afterwards. I feed with horned stock, with from 2 to 3 lbs. of lin- 
seed or cotton-cake a day each during the summer. I do not stock the land 
with sheep during the first three years, and I do not stock at all in the winter 
or in a wet season. 
9. In cases which have come under my notice where ryegrass has been 
used, it has usually disappeared after the first two or three years. 
10. Yes ; and also a diminution in the finer grasses. 
11. From five to ten years, if properly managed iu the early years after 
gowing down. ' ■ 
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