Management of Grass Land. 
167 
it is necessary that every yard of land should be productive, and 
the greatest care is taken to mow the thistles whilst still young 
and succulent, in which state they are (when mown) readily 
eaten by all kinds of stock. Coarse patches of grass, too, are 
occasionally switched over by the scythe, or, if necessary, an old 
horse is tethered in the worst places, until they are cropped 
down sufficiently to be again grazed regularly by the feeding 
stock. The loss of grass caused by neglecting to mow thistles 
and other large weeds would never be permitted if farmers would 
only consider how largely the fertility of the soil is taxed to 
nourish these intruders, and how cheaply they may be kept 
down. An old man and a hard-worn scythe, neither of them fit 
for regular work, will keep a large acreage of grass free from 
this constant source of loss. 
In addition to these preservative measures, something may 
be done to increase the produce on even the best land. If 
the question be asked why such and such a field is worth more 
to the occupier than the adjoining ones, the reply will fre- 
quently be that the field in question grows early and late, and 
even the most unobservant are occasionally struck with the 
brilliant green of some favoured fields, or portions of fields, 
when all the rest are brown. But a closer inspection will show 
that even the brown pastures have green patches in them. 
W herever the droppings of cattle have fallen in spring the grass 
is green in autumn, even after a moderate amount of frost and 
biting winds, showdng that it is not the fault of the soil or the 
climate that the grass is not still fresh and succulent, but that 
want of condition produces a feeble vitality, easily affected by 
cold, which stops the growth of the herbage much earlier in 
the winter than is at all necessary. There are also patches of 
land in most pastures where the stock do not like the . grass, the 
deficiency in this case not being in bulk but in quality of 
herbage. Unless this is caused by defective drainage, a dressing 
of the mixture to be subsequently described will generally restore 
the quality and cause these neglected parts to be as well eaten 
as the rest. 
I have ventured to define first-class grass land as that which 
will produce 20 imperial stone of meat per acre without artificial 
assistance. Next in order must be placed the land which will pro- 
duce about the same quantity of beef and mutton, with the aid of 
a moderate allowance of cake or corn. This quality of land may 
be lound to a greater or less extent in almost all parts of the 
country, with the exception of the chalk, the light sands, and 
the strong clays. The practice of giving artificial food to cattle 
at grass is rapidly gaining ground. It is already apparent that 
a lb. for beef and mutton will produce a perfect revolution in 
