1 
148 Beccnt 'Experiences in laying down Land to Grass. 
that the herbage of the town moor is composed almost entirely of ryegrass, 
though it is never allowed to grow long enough to mow. It was only 
because cattle had been shut out of it for some weeks before the Show, that 
enabled the flower-stems to shoot up, and brought the fact to light." 
I was much struck at the time by the evident perennial 
nature of the ryegrass on the Newcastle Town Moor. 
On the other hand, Mr. C. de L. Faunce De Laune, who is 
a recognised authority on the subject of gi'asses, is a staunch 
opponent to ryegrass as a constituent in mixtures for permanent 
pasture. His experience teaches him that the plants die out, 
and if they maintain their position in the meadow at all, it is by 
seeding themselves, after which the stalks become wiry and un- 
palatable to stock. 
Though under certain circumstances it may be expedient 
to sow the grass seeds in late summer or autumn, the usual 
practice set forth is spring sowing with a corn crop. Sir John 
Thorold says that out of four autumnal sowings only one was 
successful. Mr. Clare Sewell Read recommends sowing in 
spring in an autumn-so^^T^ wheat crop. Mr. James Howard 
advocates sowing in autumn to avoid competition with annual 
weeds. Summer droughts are feared for spring-sown seeds, and 
winter frosts are dangerous for those of the autumnal sowing. 
In Roxburghshire, Mr. Elliot would leave a long stubble to 
protect even the spring-sown seeds during their first winter. 
Nature sows in summer and in autumn, when the herbage is 
allowed to mature, but then the parent plants afford efficient 
protection for their offspring. 
The treatment of the pasture in its early stage of develop- 
ment is of great importance. The following is a summary of 
the replies : Take a crop of hay the first year, and feed the after- 
math lightly with young cattle getting cake. The second year 
graze with young cattle, or fold with sheep, both with artificial 
food. The third year graze again as above, and apply artificials 
or a light dressing of dung. ^Manure frequenth", and always 
give supplementarj' food to the grazing stock. 
On the whole, it appears that if the field is to be finally 
made a good meadow, there is no possible profit in the proceed- 
ing until from six to ten years have elapsed. Mr. Charles 
Randell gives an account of nineteen acres planted for an orchard 
in 18G9, and sown with permanent grass seeds. Ever since it 
has been folded over twice or thrice a year by sheep, with 
additional food of cake, chaff, and roots. The pasture is made, 
but had it not been for the advantage derived by the fruit trees, 
"the field would have paid better in the ordinary course of 
cropping." 
It apparently takes voiious periods up to fourteen years to 
! 
