658 
Climate  of  the  British  Islands 
Yet  there  may  be  exceptions  to  any  general  rule,  and  places 
having  a sunny  slope,  a dry  and  porous  subsoil,  and  a sandy 
soil,  may  grow  barley  of  an  excellent  quality  for  the  feeding  of 
cattle,  though  it  can  never  be  so  valuable  for  malting,  as  when  it 
is  grown  in  more  eastern  situations.  Taking  into  consideration 
all  circumstances,  I do  think  that  where  grass  can  be  grown  to 
the  extent  of  feeding  an  ox  during  summer  and  2 sheep  during 
winter,  or  of  keeping  8 sheep  during  the  summer  and  2 during 
winter,  that  grass  land  should  not  be  broken  up,  especially  as 
grass  land  of  a good  quality  continues  to  improve,  and  if  once 
broken  up  is  rarely  restored  to  its  former  quality ; and  in  no  part 
of  England  have  I ever  known  that  the  breaking  up  of  grass  land 
when  the  soil  was  very  tenacious,  answered  the  expectation  of 
those  persons  who  broke  it  up.  On  the  contrary,  many  parts  of 
England  (particularly  the  large  vale  of  Cleveland,  in  Yorkshire) 
have  been  reduced  to  half  their  original  value  by  being  converted 
from  pasture  to  arable  land.  It  is  well  known  that  land  laid 
down  to  grass  and  properly  attended  to,  goes  on  improving  in 
value  every  year.  But  let  this  land  be  broken  up,  a few  luxu- 
riant crops  of  corn  may  be  grown,  and  under  the  idea  that  the 
expense  of  its  conversion  into  arable  land  must  be  repaid,  ex- 
hausting crops  frequently  succeed  each  other,  the  organic  matter 
is  exhausted,  the  clay  again  brought  to  the  surface,  and  in  a few 
years  the  land  is  so  far  exhausted  as  rarely,  even  with  skilful 
management,  to  repay  the  expense  of  its  cultivation.  But  when  this 
is  discovered,  and  it  is  again  wished  to  lay  this  land  down  to  grass, 
it  is  found  that  no  plan  now  known  is  able  to  restore  it  till  the 
lapse  of  many  years  to  its  original  value  as  grass.  Grass  then  on 
clay  soils,  if  affording  a good  natural  herbage,  should  not  be  thus 
changed  from  pasture  to  arable  land  in  any  situation ; but  parti- 
cularly on  the  western  sides  of  our  islands  On  sandy  and  light 
soils  a natural  herbage  is  sooner  formed  ; but  in  no  case,  even  in 
situations  and  soils  best  fitted  for  the  spontaneous  growth  of 
effects  of  irrigation  are  stated  and  illustrated  by  their  practical  effects.  In  that  paper 
Mr.  Pusey  states,  that  on  grass  land  of  moderate  quality  lie  has  kept  at  the  rate  of 
thirty-six  sheep  for  five  months  on  one  acre  of  land.  The  sheep  were  folded  as  on 
turnips,  and,  as  every  practical  man  knows,  it  is  a good  crop  of  turnips  that  will  keep 
twelve  sheep  for  five  months.  Thus  by  a cost  of  4 1.  to  5 1.  ;ier  acre  the  produce  of 
grass  land  can  be  made  much  superior  to  any  result  obtained  by  the  growth  of  root 
crops,  especially  when  the  climate  is  so  favourable  to  grass,  and  not  well  suited  for 
turnips.  This,  then,  is  evidently  the  way  to  produce  food  on  the  western  parts  of 
England  and  Ireland.  The  climate  of  England  and  Scotland  being  so  fitted  for 
the  growth  of  grass,  and  so  diversified  by  hills,  valleys,  &c.,  as  to  be  well  suited  for 
irrigation  oti  the  western  side,  and  the  large  quantity  of  rain  falling  there  also  being  in 
favour  of  this  method,  I sincerely  hope  that  the  paper  of  Mr.  Pusey  may  turn  the 
attention  of  the  residents  in  our  western  counties  to  the  subject,  and  that  thus  they 
may  follow  out  an  excellent  plan  every  way  suited  to  their  climate,  rather  than 
attempt  to  follow  a method  of  agriculture  which,  though  well  fitted  for  our  eastern,  is 
not  at  all  adapted  for  our  western  counties.  Ily  this  the  mildness  of  winter  will  be 
turned  to  good  account,  and  the  moss  destroyed  which  so  greatly  injures  the  present 
pastures. 
