136 Recent Experiences in laying doivn Land to Ch'ass. 
\_For Schedule of Questions, see page 126.] 
Mr. John Coleman — continued. 
shearlinpr sheep, horses occasionally, and later on by cattle. The sheep 
and cattle were liberally fed -with cake, &c. The other half was dressed 
with 5 cwt. per acre of soot, and mown for hay, and afterwards grazed. 
The yield was, owing to the dry season, about half the previous crop ; princi- 
pally grasses, but very little clover, the latter not destroyed apparently, but 
small in growth. At the present time that part which was grazed appears 
to have made the best progress, as it is knitting together very nicely. The 
whole should now receive a suitable dressing, either of fold-yard or arti- 
ficial manure, the latter to be given in early spring. 
9. There was a great diminution of the ryegrasses after the two mow- 
ings described above, and cocksfoot, meadow foxtail, and some catstail took 
their place to a large extent. At the same time I think it hardly possible 
that the extraordinary luxuriance of the first year could have existed, if the 
ItaUan and perennial ryegrasses had only been in the proportions ordered, 
1 am decidedly of opinion that, where the first crop is intended to be mown, 
a small proportion of ryegrass is advantageous. 
10. This entirely depends upon the manner in which the sheep are fed. 
If stored sheep are thickly stocked upon young seeds, without any artificial 
food, and only the pasture to support them, there is very great risk of their 
gnawing into the heart of the clover plants, and so causing their destruc- 
tion ; but if lambs only are grazed, and they are supplied with artificial 
food, we believe that in many cases their influence is beneficial in producing 
a sward. 
11. On land that is in high condition, clean, and suitable for grass, on 
the western coast, good grass is often formed in five j-ears ; whereas in the 
dryer climate of the east, double this time is usually required to make a 
close thick sward, and that only by a judicious and liberal treatment. 
12. Yes. If allowed to fall down with weeds, it has been an utter 
failure ; but in certain soils in Leicestershire, which are naturally adapted 
for gr<a.ss, if the land is clean, natural grasses will soon cover the surface 
and rapidly make pasture. 
13. Most certainl}'. AVe know of large farms in Wiltshire which for- 
merly employed five or six hands, which now, being all grass, only require a 
shepherd and a cattle-man. The w holesale carrying out of this system must 
largely depopulate any district in which it occurs. 
14. This entirely depends upon the soil. On the light soils of the New 
Red Sandstone, there is no doubt more stock food, in addition to the corn, 
can be obtained by this alternate system of husbandry; and this more or 
less applies to all the lighter soils that are not suited to permanent grass. 
We know of larms in Cheshire where there is no permanent grass at all, the 
seeds remaining down five or six j-ears ; and yet, by dint of liberal treatment, 
as much cheese is produced as on the best dairy farms in the country. In 
our opinion the process of laying land down to grass has gone quite as far 
as is practicable.' 
] 5. I sliould like to express my opinion as to the utter uselessness of 
sowing renovating seeds on neglected pastures. Sucli outlay is, as a rule, 
entirely wasted, inasmuch as the seed.s seldom, if ever, grow, and, howcA'er 
bad tlie pasture may appear, there are always good grasses and clover to be 
developed by the use of suitable manures. 
Mr. G. IMander Allender, SiammcrJiam, Horsham, Siissex. 
1, Wealden formation, generally, but contains large percentage of silica 
Vpder some portion laid down. Stone is fopnd \yvo to tl^ree feet below surface, 
