180 
On Breaking up Grass Lands. 
any other quantity, but such comparisons would lead us to very 
erroneous results. The farmer in exclusi%'ely dairy counties is not 
provided with buildings and implements for arable cultivation, 
except in few cases — and if at all provided, they are on too small 
a scale for more than a few acres of arable land — hence we must 
introduce other and new elements of expenditure. 
Where it is intended to break up considerable quantities of 
land now occupied for dairy purposes, a thing which I deem de- 
sirable, where even the buildings are insufficient and where the 
farmer possesses not a plough or other kind of implement, our 
calculations must assume a different shape than for single pieces 
supposed to be broken up on farms where every convenience pre- 
viously existed. 
What I have before shown as advantages of breaking up grass- 
lands refers to such lands as may be spared to be broken up on a 
farm without changing the system of farming. A doubt might 
remain whether it would be of advantage to break up large quan- 
tities, especially when the doing so would incur the additional ex- 
pense of buildings. 
I have not hesitated to give as an opinion that little or no 
advantage would arise from breaking up the best portion of our 
grass-land, except in small quantities, and that on farms where at 
present they have no arable land. Neither water-meadows nor 
those that by any art can be converted into water-meadows, nor 
pasture surrounding large towns, nor any of our grazing land that 
will feed an ox on an acre, should be touched. But there are 
other descriptions of land, down almost to the very poorest, that 
may be profitably broken up, provided w e could ensure that they 
should not be exhausted, but properly managed and farmed. It is 
upon lands that are frequently used for depasturing stock and young 
beasts, and which would scarcely produce a crop of hay if mown, 
that there will be the greatest advantage in breaking up. Many 
pastures of this description, that are not on clay soils, but are 
situated on moist gravel or coarse sand, and produce a very harsh 
and coarse herbage, will pay when drained to be broken up ; as also 
large tracts of land of an inferior pasture, now occupied for the 
purposes of the dairy, having been deteriorated probably by a 
long course of dairying without any or but little return of ma- 
nure. A long continuance of depasturing for dairy purposes, 
and of selling of the cheese, butter, «S:c., without an equivalent 
return of manure, must finally, if but slowly, reduce the powers 
of the soil. We meet with a large quantity of land in England 
which, either from this or some other cause, if not at a stand-still, 
is yet not improving in the same ratio with most of our arable 
lands. Heavy lands of this description, generally speaking, are 
no drained. Little or no attempt has been made to improve 
