snfl ia moist rich ground it has been observ- 
ed to grow tall, while in poor land it has been 
lound equally diminutive. It is a grass well 
adapted to good, sound, moist loams. The 
produce is admirable for the feeding of all 
sorts of cattle. D 
^ Marsh meadow grtiss. This is a fine exu- 
berant grass, and one of the best dairy grasses 
we have. It grows in all our rich marshes, 
xx i lich are subject to be flooded in the winter; 
generally four feet high. Its panick, when 
iull-blown, is wonderfully line and flowing. 
Compressed meadow grass. This is an ex- 
cellent grass for parks and sheep walks, deer 
and sheep being fond of it; and as it is a 
mvarf grass, the blades seldom exceeding two 
inches, it makes a line turf, and renders the 
tlesh of the animals short, and sweet flavoured. 
Crested dogs tail grass. T his is a grass 
that is a favourite and wholesome food for 
sheep.. It grows best in dry pastoral lands, 
and will not thrive in meadows that are very 
moist. It abounds greatly in the best pas- 
tures, and is a blade grass that shoots up the 
■first after the land has been mown ; its thickest 
tuds afford much food for sheep in the lime 
•n snow and severe weather in the winter sea- 
son. From the rapidity of its growth it may 
oe apt to get coarse, it not cut down more 
quickly than is often the case. 
knottp cat's tail grass. It is a fine exube- 
rant grass, very fit for dairy pastures and for 
cow-hay. It produces much rich milk, and 
Fine are fond of it. 
Sweet-scented vernal grass. This is a sort 
of grass that comes early into blossom ; and is 
also valuable for its readiness to grow in most 
kinds of soil and situation, but in point of 
tiop it is not so productive as some others; 
and it it well known to be the only grass of 
this climate which is odoriferous ; the agree- 
able scent of new-made hay being produced 
almost entirely by it ; and the green leaves, 
"hen bruised, readily impart this odour to 
the lingers, by which means the foliage may 
constantly be known. 
Cultivation of grass lands. Lands in the 
state of grass must obviously be applied to 
different purposes, according to their nature, 
situation, and other circumstances. Those 
■winch are of the more moist kinds, whether 
Irom the nature of the soil or the peculiarity 
of situation, are for the most part kept under 
the scythe; while those of the contrary de- 
scription, that are situated at a greater height, 
nnd of course, in most cases, possess a greater 
degree of firmness, are in general appropri- 
ated .to the purpose of pasturage: though, in 
particular situations, where grass land is 
scarce, and consequently of great value, it is 
good management to. convert them occasion- 
ally to the purpose of hav. 
Meadow lands, from their being situated in 
the hollows and sloping sides of the valleys, 
■where the staple and depth of soil of the lands 
Lave for a long time been continually increas- 
ing by the deposition of various sorts of ve- 
getable and other matters brought down from 
the higher grounds, are, however, in general, 
in a considerably greater state of fertility, 
and evidently better fitted for the permanent 
production of grass than those from which 
they have derived their richness. 
Management of meadow lands. From the 
greater retention of moisture in the vale land, 
in consequence of their situation, and the 
depth of vegetable matter, they are liable to 
HUSBANDRY. 
throw up coarse herbage in many cases, 
more drainage, as well as other management, 
is necessary to bring them into the proper 
condition for the growth of goo'd herbage, 
than is requisite in the hay grounds in the 
more elevated places. And by a more par- 
ticular attention in these respects they would, 
in many instances, be rendered a vast deal 
more productive than they are at present, 
and at the same time afford a much better 
herbage. They would also admit stock upon 
them a much greater length of time, botli in 
the autumn and spring seasons. 
The most proper season for surface-drain- 
ing grass lands is in the autumn, when they 
are somewhat firm and dry, as in the early 
spring months such lands are too full of 
moisture. The grips, or small open drains, 
should be cut obliquely, in the most suitable 
directions for conveying off the superficial 
stagnant water, the materials taken out being 
wholly removed. Much of this sort of drain- 
ing may be performed at a small expense, 
and the beneficial effects be very consi- 
derable. 
Meadow lands also demand much more at- 
tention in their management Ilian those which 
are fed by cattle. In all cases stock should be 
turned upon the lands, and manures applied 
with much care, and only when the land is in 
such a state of dryness as not to be injured by 
the poaching in or breaking of the sward. 
It must be evident, that the breaking of 
the surface, texture, or sward of grass lands 
must in all cases be prejudicial, not only by 
the destruction of plants, which is thereby 
immediately produced, but also by the reten- 
tion and stagnation of water upon them in 
the holes and depressions from small portions 
of the turf being forced in. 
Hie most proper periods of shutting up 
such grass lands as are designed for hay 
must, like those of eating them down in the 
autumn by stock, depend on various circum- 
stances that can only suit the particular 
cases. In general, however, it is the best 
practice not to delay it too long. When the 
lands are not eaten at all in the spring by 
cattle, after the sheep have been removed, 
about the middle of February, nothing fur- 
ther should be allowed to enter the meadows; 
by which means a quick vegetation is secur- 
ed, as well as a more plentiful crop and a 
more early hay harvest. And in other cases 
it should seldom much exceed the middle of 
March, as when eaten much later, there is 
not time for the grass to produce a full crop 
before the commencement of the hay season ; 
of course the farmer sustains more loss than 
can be repaid by any advantage in the ad- 
ditional feeding he may obtain. This is, 
therefore, the' best practice where the view 
of the farmer is hay ; and it should be purli- 
eu arW adopted and attended to in cow farms, 
where it is of much importance to cut early’ 
to secure hay of a fine, grassy quality, for 
the purpose of producing large supplies of 
milk. 
After the meadows or other grass lands 
have had the cattle and other sorts of live 
stock removed from them in the early spring 
months, and been shut up for hay, they 
should bp prepared for the scythe, by having 
all sorts of obstructions picked up and re- 
moved. This work should always be exe- 
cuted as soon as possible, before the grass 
begins to spring up too much and conceal 
them, "as it is difficult to perform the business 
effectually afterwards. 
It is an excellent practice to have all sorts 
of coarse plants of the aquatic and other 
kinds, such as rushes, fern, docks, thistles, 
and various others, effectually drawn up and 
eiadicatcd both from the hedge-rows and 
other parts of the fields, in order to prevent 
their running up to seed and disseminating 
themselves over the lands. 
Mowing of hay lands. In the cutting of 
grass ci ops for the purpose of being converted 
into hay, it is necessary that th«y be in the 
most suitable states of growth and maturity 
for affording the best and most nutritious fod- 
der. With this view, it would seem that they 
should neither be cut at too early a period, 
nor suffered to stand too long;' as in the 
former case there will be considerable loss in 
the drying, from the produce being in so sort 
and green a condition, and in the latter from 
a large proportion of the nourishing proper 
ties .being expended. It is probable, there- 
fore, that grass, when mown before it becomes 
in full flower, while the rich saccharine juice 
is in part retained at the joints of the flower- 
stems, is in the most proper condition for 
being cut down, as at that period it must con- 
tain the largest proportion of nutritious ma- 
terial, but which then begins to be absorbed 
and taken up in proportion as the flowers 
expand and the seeds ripen. 
But there are other circumstances besides 
those of ripeness to be attended to in deter- 
mining the period of cutting crops of grass ; 
as in some cases, where they are thick upon 
the ground, the bottom parts become of a 
yellow' colour before the flowering fully takes 
place: under such circumstances, it will al- 
ways be the most advisable practice to mow 
as soon as the weather will possibly admit ; 
for if this is neglected there will be great 
danger of its rotting, or at any rate of its ac- 
quiring a disagreeable flavour,' and of becom- 
ing ot but little value. Where grass is very 
tall, as is often the case in moist meadows, it 
is liable to fail down and lodge, by which the 
same effects are produced. In this case also 
the mowing should be performed as soon as 
possible. 
In the operation of mowing, the chief ait 
consists in cutting the crop as close to the 
surface of the ground as possible, and per- 
fectly level, pointing the swaths well out, so 
as to leave scarcely any ridges under them. 
I lay-making. The great art in converting 
grass into hay consists in rendering it suffi- 
ciently dry to prevent its fermentation tak- 
ing on too great a degree of heat in the stack 
01 mow, and at the same time preserving a 
large proportion of the natural juice of the. 
plants. W here this medium can be attained 
with the most exactness, the best and most 
nutritious hay will be produced. 
In the making of hay, some attention should 
be paid to the quality of the soil and the kind 
ot herbage growing upon it. Hie hard bentv 
haj of a poor soil is in little or no danger of 
heating too much in the stack; it should, 
therefore, be put very early together, in 
order to promote a considerable sweating, as 
the only means of imparting a flavour to it, 
which will make it agreeable to horses and 
lean cattle, as it will be nearly unfit for every 
other sort of stock. It is the succulent her- 
bage ot rich land, or land highly manured. 
