192 
PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES. 
Of the total area of land in England under all Jvinds of crop, bare 
fallow, and grass, more than 51 per cent, is in permanent grass. 
Of the similar cultivated area in Great Britain, permanent grass 
covers nearly 49 per cent. Approximately, therefore, half of the 
agricultural area of this island is in grass, so that the interests 
associated with grass farming are obviously great. It is to the 
present and prosjjective farmers of grass land that Mr. Sutton's 
work' specially appeals, and its inherent merits are such that it has 
not appealed in vain, for it has passed into a fourth edition in less 
than five years from the date of its first appearance. 
The book is, in its entirety, a happy illustration of " Practice 
with Science." Primarily, it is a practical book written by a 
practical man for practical men. But Science, as the handmaid of 
Practice, sheds her light upon its pages, and the result is in the 
highest degree instructive. The early chapters deal with the drain- 
age of grass land, cultural preparations, and the selection of grasses 
and clovers. The main part of the book is then occupied with 
descriptions of the species of plants commonly found in meadows 
and pastures. Next follow instructions for the spring and autumn 
sowing of grass seeds, the immediate after-management of new 
pastures, and the management and improvement of old grass land, 
as well as the breaking up of such land. The sections on hay- 
making, on gi'azing, and on the conversion of grass into silage, 
are replete with sound suggestions applicable in the Held. An 
important division of the work is that dealing with temporary 
pastures, whether one, two, or three years' ley, or intended to 
remain down for from four to eight years. 
Amongst the agricultural grasses which are figured and described 
are fiorin, foxtail, sweet vernal, yellow oat gi'ass, tall oat ^rass, 
dogstail, cocksfoot, seven species of fescue, perennial rye-grass, 
Italian rye-grass, timothy, and four species of meadow grass (genus 
J'oa). The leguminous plants dealt with are five species of ?Vt- 
folium (white clover, red clover, cow-grass, alsike, and yellow suck- 
ling), together with common trefoil, birdsfoot trefoil, lucerne, and 
sainfoin. Yarrow and sheep's parsley likewise receive attention. 
The descriptive accounts of tlicse various species are models of con- 
ciseness and correctness, and will be appreciated alike by tlu^ farmer 
and tlie student. The tone of th(> entire volume, indeed, is such as 
to qualify it for the li(;ld rather tlian tlie bookshelf, though as a 
reference manual it has no e(]ual. 
The two dozen coloured plates of grasses and clovers are skil- 
^ Permanent and Temporary Pantures, with Descriptions and coloured 
Illusfrnf inns of leading Aatvral Grasses and Clox'crs. By Martin J. Sutton. 
l''ourtli Kd. I'p. xii and 172, with 23 coloured plates. London: Simpkin, 
Marshall, and Co. 1891. 
