AGRICULTURE. 
returned to the soil for all that is thus de- 
tached from it. In consequence, moreover, 
of depasturing lands, the plants, being un- 
able to propagate themselves by seed, do it 
by root, forming a compact and matted 
turf, incapable of sending forth strong and 
powerful stems to form a good crop of hay, 
but abounding in slender and delicate 
shoots, such as the closeness of the turf will 
alone permit to pass, and which constitute 
a most nourishing and pleasing food for 
cattle. These two modes of employing land 
therefore should not be intermixed. What 
has for some time been applied to either 
purpose, should by all means be permitted 
to remain so ; and to attempt to alternate 
the application of grass lands between pas- 
ture and cropping, is an effectual method of 
completely defeating both objects. 
The difficulty of restoring old, rich, and 
clean pastures to their original state, after 
their being broken up, should ever prevent 
their being so, unless in very extraordinary 
cases. In common times they can be ap- 
plied to no better purpose than their actual 
one : whenever it is expedient to direct 
them to the raising of grain, they will be 
certain to produce it in immense abundance. 
With respect to the improvement of 
which grass lands are generally susceptible, 
those, of course, should in the first instance 
be applied to them which are connected 
with draining and inclosure, which hap- 
pily coincide with each other, as the ditch 
serves at once for dividing and defending 
the land, and for clearing off the redundant 
moisture. Irrigation also, which, as well in- 
deed as the last-mentioned topics, has been 
already adverted to, from its obvious and 
admirable utility to pasture, will derive 
every attention in this connection. In 
spring a heavy wooden roller should be ap- 
plied, when the weather is moist, as it will 
then make the greater impression. The 
roots of the plants will thus be fixed in the 
soil. The mould will be crushed, and the 
worm-casts levelled, by this practice; and 
the ground is prepared by it for the applica- 
tion of the scythe, which will in conse- 
quence of this operation cut deeper, and 
with more facility. 
The stocking of poor pastures with sheep, 
rather than black cattle, is of particular 
consequence to their improvement, and the 
perseverance in this practice for years, the 
sheep being folded upon the spot, has been 
more recruiting to poor soils than any other 
practice. A habit of matting its roots is 
given to the grass by the close bite of these 
animals, and a growth of delicate herbage is 
promoted. Weeds are likewise cleared by 
sheep, as every thing young and tender 
(even heath and broom) is readily eaten by 
them. By means also of the dung neces- 
sarily arising, an amelioration of the soil as 
well as produce takes place, of extreme and 
surprizing importance. The sweetness of 
the feed on the downs of Wiltshire arises, 
not so much from any natural and charac- 
teristic excellence of the grass grown on 
them, as from its being kept close, and 
eaten as rapidly as it vegetates. It has 
been remarked, that on certain poor soils it 
requires much more time to produce the 
second inch of vegetation than the first, 
making allowance for the fuller develope- 
ment and size accompanying the second ; a 
circumstance indicating that the preference 
should in such cases be given to the feeding 
by sheep rather than by cattle. The former 
remarks, however, on this subject, concern- 
ing the inapplicability of land thus depas- 
tured for rearing crops of hay, must never 
be forgotten. 
Quicklime, spread in powder over the 
surface of pasture lands, will scarcely fail to 
improve, not only the poor, but the more 
valuable ones. The moss plants, which are 
so particularly pernicious, are thus destroy- 
ed, and converted into valuable manure. 
Upon impoverished and worn-out lands, 
about 270 bushels per acre on the sward, in 
summer, will be found of great and durable 
efficacy in cleaning and improving them. 
Mixing lime with earth taken from ditches 
or ponds is superior to using it alone, and, 
as a general rule, double the quantity of 
earth should be mixed with that of lime. The 
requisite proportions vary, however, with 
the nature of the soils; but are easily ascer- 
tained by attentive workmen. 
Paring and burning may be applied to 
pastur e with great success in a partial man- 
ner, by grubbing up rushes and bushes with 
which it may be encumbered, burning them 
after they are dried, and before the autum- 
nal rains come on spreading their ashes on 
the surface. In some instances this hus- 
bandry may be successfully exercised on pas- 
ture over the whole surface, as particularly 
on a poor worn-out ley, which, by such a 
process, attended with the harrowing in of 
white clover and several other grass seeds, 
at the time of spreading the ashes, has been 
improved into very fine meadow. Where 
suitable, such a practice may be regarded 
as one of the cheapest of all improvements. 
From whatever cause land may be over- 
run with moss plants, or covered with fern, 
rushes, and ant hills, it should be subjected 
