262 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Maroh 26, 1885. 
the first two or three years till we have a well-knit sward. To 
many, very many, farmers the laying down of land to grass is a 
new departure in farming, and there has naturally been much 
blundering and a loss both of time and money, and yet the right 
way of doing it a simple one. It goes without saying that the 
land must be drained, cleared of weeds, and worked to a fine 
seed bed; yet if to this we add pure seed sown at the right 
season of the year, we shall have about exhausted anything like 
a systematic arrangement in due sequence of details of practice 
in force generally. It is not only in the subsequent manage¬ 
ment of the young permanent pasture that serious mistakes are 
made, but also in the reckless thoughtless manner in which the 
work is undertaken. We want more of measure, balance, pro¬ 
portion, and end and purpose in our work, and a clear intelligent 
grasp of the best means of rendering it successful. For a time 
permanent pasture and alternate husbandry go hand in band; 
we have, therefore, to consider what quantity of hay and the 
area of grazing land we require for the cattle. Seeds, consisting 
of the usual mixture of Rye Gross, Cocksfoot, white Clover, 
red Clover, Alsike, and Cow Grass, on highly cultivated fertile 
soil, will produce 3 tons per acre in the two principal growths of 
the year, known as the first and second “cuts,*' and we have 
known instances where first cut has closely approached that 
weight. We may usefully quote an instance of this. In the 
Royal Agricultural Society’s report of the farm prize competi¬ 
tion last year we are told that on the first-prize farm “ The 
young seeds after Barley were top-dressed in the autumn with 
well-rotted farmyard manure, followed in December by a mixture 
of equal parts of bonemeal and superphosphate at the rate of 
5 cwt. per acre, at a cost of 25s. Grazed with ewe hoggs up to 
Christmas, rested till the beginning of March, then feed by 
ewes and lambs up to the beginning of May, and with a little 
rain there was the certainty of an abundant crop by the middle 
of July; indeed, given clean land, as this is, and a good plant, 
it would be a matter of surprise if such treatment did not pro¬ 
duce great results. On our last visit, July 10th, these seeds 
were still growing, the Rye Grass was just coming into flower, 
and the Clover was partly in flower. One of the Judges, viewing 
the field from a distance, not unnaturally remarked that it was 
a splendid crop of Barley. We never remember to have seen 
any crop of such bulk, which we estimated at from to 3 tons 
per acre.” It should be added that Italian Rye Grass at the 
rate of half a bushel of seed per acre was the only Grass used 
with the mixture of Clovers. 
In a careful trial of Grasses last year the weight of both 
Alopecurus pratensis (Foxtail) and Dactylis glomerata (Cocks¬ 
foot) was superior to Loliurn perenne (Perennial Rye Grass), and 
in another instance both Phleum pratense (Timothy) and Fes- 
tuca pratensis (Meadow Fescue) were superior to it. Cocksfoot, 
Timothy, and Italian Rye Grass may all three be added advan¬ 
tageously to the Clovers for a one year’s ley; and for a two or 
three years’ ley we would use all three of them, with Meadow 
Fescue and Crested Dog’s Tail. We cannot be too particular 
in procuring the seeds from a reliable source. It is well known 
how much Grass seeds are adulterated with the seed of Rye 
Grass Professor Carruthers wisely observes that whatever 
opinion may be entertained of the value of this Grass in pas¬ 
tures, it is obviously undesirable to buy Rye Grass as Meadow 
Fescue, and pay at least three times its own market price for it; 
and when one considers the low germination, and the large 
amount of Rye Grass present in so many samples, it is manifest 
that the plants of Meadow Fescue that actually grow in many 
pastures must Post a very considerable sum of money. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Live Stock .—By the time this note is printed our Rye, which is now 
upwards of a foot in height, will he in cut for the dairy cows, to which 
animals its use will be confined for the prerent in order to promote 
richness of both colour and flavour in cream and butter. Heartily glad 
are we of this early supply of grpen fodder, for we must own to having 
had complaints both of poverty of colour in the butter and of its having 
occasionally been decidedly unpleasant to the taste. Such complaints 
usually occur in the first month of the year, when the yield of milk is low. 
We try always to have some cows to calve at intervals throughout winter, 
out are not always successful in what is really an important mat'er for 
the requirements of a large household. Mention is made of this now in 
view of striving to continue to provide fresh cows for next winter, the 
period of gestation being about forty weeks. A strong forward growth 
of Italian Rye Grass gives fair promise of a crop of considerable bulk, 
which will be at hand for the cows when the Rye is used. The forward 
condition of this piece of seeds is almost solely attributable to the dressing 
of artificial manure applied to it in February, when we had so much rain. 
The manure was dissolved and washed down to the roots so quickly that a 
quick strong growth followed sooner than I had hitherto seen' it, and 
results of the most satisfactory character are already before us. The 
value of such a crop at this season of the year is literally beyond price, for 
not only does it enable us to keep the dairy cows fully supplied with 
green food, but all the other cattle have some too ; and we can well afford 
to keep the whole of them in the yards till the pastures “ have got a good 
head,” so that when we do turn out they may obtain plenty of food 
without having to ramble far and wide for it. 
There is a lesson in practice here that we wish to enforce strongly.. To 
have an early supply of green fodder it must be grown in rich soil, or 
rather we would say in soil charged with sufficient nutriment to ensure a 
full crop. We are advisedly cautious in writing of good or bad soil, 
because we desire our readers always to regard the soil as a medium for 
conveying food to plants, and to remember that no soil contains an 
inexhaustible store of fertility. High culture given to land for special 
crop 3 is certainly no mean factor in successful farming ; and now, when 
every stroke must tell home, it grows yearly in importance. Without it 
we should have had no early cut of Rye or Italian Rye Grass, yet it is 
most obvious to a close observer that special treatment of the land for a 
special object has by far too little attention from farmers generally. On 
the day this is written we have driven past several farms, and to our 
regret we saw many cows turned out upon the pastures prematurely— 
pasture, too, that was the reverse of forward in growth. Well might one 
exclaim, What a pity ! for there was not enough green food to satisfy 
hunger, or to be of any material benefit to the cows. 
Good and Bad Fodder Grasses at Kew—The Rye Grasses.— 
I see in your Notes and Gleanings, page 231, a correspondent draws 
attention to what seems anew departure at Kew in setting apart two large 
borders for an agricultural experiment ground, divided into plots, each 
plot containing one good or one bad Grass that those interested were to 
grow or avoid. This is very commendable, and remembering the vastness 
of the agricultural interest, it is astonishing that the Government has not 
long since set apart a special garden or farm where those concerned 
every time they come to the metropolis could go and see good, bad, and 
indifferent varieties of not merely Grasses, but every crop grown usually 
by farmers. At present, if they wanted to see anything of this kind they 
should go to the seed farms of some of the great seed firms. However, 
what I want to direct attention to is the more than questionable accuracy 
of bracketing Loliurn italicum and L. perenne, Italian and Perennial Rye 
Grasses, with the ten other bad Grasses. I am aware that Mr. Faunce De 
Laune does not include either of those Grasses in his permanent pasture 
mixtures, and that they have been described as merely annual Grasses, 
shallow rooting, &c. However, I am also aware that when I was a pupil 
at the Government Farming Institute at Glasnevin, by the free use of 
artificial manures and liquid from the hydrants, we cut upwards of 60 tons 
of soiling of Italian Rye Grass per acre for the milch cows. I should be 
very curious to know what other Grass would give the same produce and 
be equally acceptable to cattle for fodder. It is misleading the public, 
therefore, to class either of those among the bad fodder Grasses. In this 
town, not later than last market day, Rye Grass hay readily brought 6d. 
per cwt. more than any other, I shall be sowing several acres under 
permanent pasture within the next few days, and as 1 want a good meadow 
next year I mpaa to include both Italian and Perennial Rye Grasses in 
the mixture.— \V. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Large Duck Egg {Delta).— An egg 6| ozs. in weight is very unusual 
even for a Duck. We do not remember to have seen one so large. Was it 
double yolked ? 
Feeding Bees {H. T. B .).—If bees are short of food and cannot obtain 
it outdoors, feed them at once, giving as much as they will take, and 
continue the practice as long as may be necessary. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Rain 
1885. 
March. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 328 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
1 Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sunday . 
. 15 
30.259 
35.2 
33.0 
E. 
40.0 
53.4 
27.8 
70.2 
21.5 
— 
Monday. 
16 
30.478 
37.5 
35.4 
W. 
39.2 
53.2 
29.8 
89.4 
23.4 
— 
Tuesday. 
. 17 
30.177 
4t.l 
37.7 
s.w. 
39 4 
54.8 
33.6 
90.3 
27.2 
0.037 
Wednesday . 
. 18 
29 621 
41.4 
38 9 
w. 
40.2 
52.1 
37.8 
90.9 
32.5 
— 
Thursday ... 
. 19 
30.090 
36.3 
32.9 
N. 
40.4 
45.9 
31.8 
9 1.3 
27.9 
— 
Friday. 
20 
29.822 
42.9 
41.6 
S.W. 
39 8 
62 6 
33.2 
105.9 
28.2 
— 
Saturday ... 
. 21 
29.892 
43.2 
38.8 
N,W. 
41.4 
53.6 
39.3 
832 
32.8 
0.740 
30.049 
39.7 
36.9 
40.1 
53.7 
333 
88 6 
27.6 
0.777 
REMARKS. 
15 th.—Slight fog 8 to 9 30 A.M. and 4 to 6 P.M., otherwise fine and sunny. Dense fog at 
west end of Loudon. 
10th.—Fine and generally bright. 
17th.—Beautiful day, rather windy ; rain at night. 
18t.h.—Fine bright morning; slight shower of hail at noon. 
19th.—Rright and sunny, but cool. 
20th,—Fine, and in afternoon much warme’’. 
2Lst.—Cloudy morning, with flakes of snow during afternoon; slight rain 10 P.M. 
A fine week, with large daily range of temperature, averaging more than 20°, and 
on the 20th amounting to nearly 30° (29-6°). Sun’s temperature 10” higher than last week, 
and 20 ° higher than the week before, while grass frosts have occurred almost nightly.— 
U..T. SIMONS. ' 
P.S.—The entry of 0.740 in. of rain placed against Saturday fell partly as rain and partly 
as snow in the early hours of Sunday. 
