Recent EmiJeriences in laying down Land to Gra.'ifi. 151 
Mr. Clare Sewell Read is strongly in favour of leaving the land 
down two years; but he would break it up before the third 
year, to avoid the danger of foul grasses. Mr. Mark J. Stewart, 
M.P., speaking of a part of Scotland where it is the custom to 
leave the seeds down for three years, says that the tei'm might 
be extended if the good natural grasses would grow; but he finds 
that the dairy-farmers consider that young grasses produce milk 
in greater abundance. Mr. John Coleman quotes instances of 
farms in Cheshire where there is no permanent grass, the seeds 
remaining down five or six years, and, with liberal treatment, 
producing as much cheese as on the best dairy farms in the 
county. 
Mr. C. Eandell boldly attacks the difficult question of the 
cultivation of clay-land, and gives his course of fallow, wheat, 
and three years' seeds. He emphasises the necessity of selling 
the straw, to pay for the cost of the fallowing and the artificial 
manvn'e for the wheat. The necessity of the fallow on such land 
shows that couch-grass has to be guarded against. On the 
chalk, where sainfoin is largely grown, and where the English 
variety is frequently left down from four to seven years, there 
remains a legacy, when it is broken up, of couch-gi-ass, water- 
grass, docks, and other noxious grasses and weeds, that take 
years to get rid of ; wireworm is also commonly found in enor- 
mous profusion. This is an example of what occurs when the 
grasses begin to die out, if left down too long. It will almost 
certainly occur after two years, when the seed simply consists of 
clovers and ryegrass. 
A judicious selection of seeds that are permanent in their 
nature should be added to the clover and ryegi'ass, so that, when 
they fail, there is something left to take their place ; and it is 
likely that this might be done with sainfoin as well. Mr. James 
Howard has made some of his pastures by drilling sainfoin and 
adding permanent grass seeds. The experience of Mr. John 
Clutton leads him to think that when seeds are supplied to 
tenants, it might be better to supply a cheaper quantity of seed, 
and allow the land to be broken up after a short period, as the 
liberal management subsequently necessary is seldom properly 
bestowed. There must be a great deal of the permanent grass 
added annually to the Agricultural Eetums that is broken up 
after three or four years, on its being discovered that there is no 
likelihood of a good pasture resulting. 
The summer of 1887 was so dry that the pastures were 
scorched quite brown, and it was useless to attempt to discover 
their condition by personal inspection after the month of June. 
Earlier in the year I was fortunate enough to be able to see 
some good examples of recent laying down to grass. Mr. C. de 
