80 
■JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 25, 1879. 
SOUND PASTURE. 
Since writing the article on Pasture Farming, which was pub¬ 
lished on page 35, we have seen so many examples of neglected 
pasture in different counties that we return to the subject under 
another title, in common use enough, but which, nevertheless, has 
■something vague and indefinite about it. The term of “ sound 
pasture ” ought not only to include that which is well drained, but 
is well planted also. Taken in such a comprehensive sense it 
would become most useful as the recognised standard of really 
good pasture, free from noxious weeds and stagnant water, rich in 
fertility, and abounding with the best possible mixture of Grasses 
and Clovers. 
Who has such pasture ? The man who laid down his land with 
the best mixture of seeds ought certainly to have it; but has he ? 
We have seen new pasture almost hidden beneath a wild growth of 
rampant weeds, which was all the more vexatious because the seed 
had been sown without a corn crop in order that the plant might 
sustain no check nor the soil be robbed of fertility by other 
growth. If only the soil be made thoroughly clean either by 
means of a bare fallow or autumn and spring cultivation there is 
no reason why a corn crop should not be taken with it ; but it is 
quite indispensable to give the soil an elaborate preparation before¬ 
hand. The only way to render soil really clean is to destroy the 
roots of perennial weeds, and after each time it is turned over or 
stirred by plough or cultivator to leave it undisturbed long enough 
for the germination of all seeds. No fixed rule can be given for 
cleaning land, the method of doing it must be determined by the 
state of the weather. In a fine autumn a prompt use of ploughs, 
cultivators, and harrows, immediately after the clearance of the 
corn, will enable us to extract all rubbish from the soil and burn it. 
Tn less favourable weather it has to be carted off the land. Hand 
labour, steel forks, and hand rakes are also useful at times, our sole 
object being to have the soil clean by any and every means at our 
disposal. 
Old foul pasture requires special treatment. After careful 
examination we may find it worth while to eradicate the weeds by 
digging or grubbing, and then to break up the bare patches of soil 
and sow them with Grass and Clover seed. But if the pasture is 
very foul and the herbage coarse, rank, and worthless it may 
answer best to pare it, to burn the sods, spread the ashes over the 
surface, plough them in, and sow a mixture of really good seed for 
a new pasture. Very coarse herbage is usually an indication of the 
presence of superfluous moisture in the soil, and drainage is then of 
necessity an important factor in the process of renovation. When 
horses and cattle invariably avoid certain portions of pasture it is 
certain that there is something radically wrong about it, the pasture 
is unsound, it fails to answer its intended purpose, but probably 
drainage is all that is required to change the worthless growth into 
sweet wholesome nutritious food. We have found this to be so in 
our own practice, and can therefore confidently recommend 
drainage as the first step to be taken in the cultivation of such 
unprofitable pasture. 
There are certain pests which are best got rid cf by grubbing. 
When the home farm which we now manage came into our hands 
there were several large patches of Nettles in the pasture, which it 
was customary for the shepherd to mow occasionally during 
summer. We at once replaced the scythe with a spade and 
mattock, had the Nettle roots grubbed, and there was an end of 
them. Yet the mowing had been done for years, and our remedy 
was actually regarded with disfavour. The general carelessness 
about pasture is really incomprehensible. In making a recent 
inspection of a farm famous for the excellence of its crops and its 
superiority to adjoining farms owing to clever management, the 
only weak point we saw was a small meadow in front of the farm¬ 
house, in which Ononis and Genista tinctoria (Bastard Broom) had 
become so thoroughly established that it was a veritable flower 
garden. The cheerful effect of the blossom in such a position 
was the only possible excuse for a spoilt pasture, but in this in¬ 
stance we found there was no liking for the flowers, the weeds 
being regarded as a necessary evil to be kept under by mowing, 
but not to be got rid of because “ they would come.” 
Many weeds disappear from pasture with drainage and the 
regular application of manure, but we have found grubbing neces¬ 
sary not only for Nettles, but also for Docks, Broom, Ononis, 
Gorse, Brambles, and we once had actually to grub a lot of stunted 
Whitethorn which had been suffered to become established with 
huge thickets of Bramble in an upland pasture. Buttercups, 
Mint, Chamomile, Garlic, and Tansy all spoil the flavour of milk, 
and should never be found in the pasture of dairy cows, nor would 
they be found in any pasture if it were rendered sound and 
brought under a3 careful a system of culture as it ought to be. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Such speedy work was made of the haymaking that a little extra 
care has been required with the stacks, which when built so quickly are 
apt to settle down in an uneven manner as heating sets in. It is well, 
therefore, to wait long enough before thatching to allow them to settle, 
and then re-arrange the top of each stack so as to ensure the proper 
slope to the roof and a symmetrical appearance to the entire structure. 
Violent heating occurred in only one stack, the top of which sunk down 
to a very obtuse angle. By opening the centre to raise the sides and 
building up the top to the required height with Barley straw the stack 
was rendered both safe and dry. 
Mangolds and early Swedes are now out of hand till autumn, the 
final hoeing having been given just when the leaves were spreading so 
far over the space between the rows as to ensure the keeping under of 
weeds. These crops are very satisfactory, as also later sown Swedes 
and Turnips bid fair to be, for the recent rain has been much in favour 
of quick seed germination and speedy plant growth. With such 
favourable weather for growth all possible plant singling should be 
done in order that the plant left for the crop may derive full benefit 
from the rain, and become well established in the soil before there is 
any risk of harm from drought. 
Much of the best corn has been sadly beaten down by heavy rain, 
and where straw is long and weak it must remain down. It depends 
now upon the weather of the next three or four weeks whether we are 
to have a repetition of the sprouted and discoloured corn of last year. 
The crops generally are excellent, and the short stout straw of Square- 
head Wheat enables that useful variety to pass erect and unharmed 
through the storms which beat down sorts with longer anl weaker 
straw. If we get new sorts of Wheat and Barley with larger ears and 
heavier grain, we also require more substance in the straw to enable it 
to support the grain in storm and sunshine. We had recently to in¬ 
spect a Barley field, the growth of which was so weak that much of it 
could not produce ears. The tenant’s grievance was that he had 
ploughed in a fair dressing of farmyard manure for this Barley, 
apparently to no purpose. The manure was taken in valuation last 
Michaelmas, was it worthless 1 As we walked over the field the odour 
of wild Mint crushed beneath our feet told us that the land was wet, 
and we were bound to pronounce that the failure of the crop was 
caused by water-logged soil, and not by poverty of manure. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 39' 40" N.: Long. 0° 8- 0" W.: Altitude. Ill feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
a 
73 
C4 
1889. 
J uly. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32° 
and Sea 
Level. 
Hydrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass 
Inches. 
deer 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
S mdav.14 
29 8-7 
63 7 
60.5 
E. 
6.3 0 
70 0 
5-.2 
125 4 
54.8 
0.020 
Monday.1.5 
29.110(1 
01 3 
55 3 
S W. 
62 4 
19.2 
55 4 
116 8 
53.6 
0.025 
Tuesday .... 13 
29.807 
18.0 
52.9 
s.w. 
CL 2 
69 8 
49.1 
122 3 
45.6 
Wednesday.. 17 
19.748 
60.2 
53.2 
s.w. 
61 8 
68.1 
51 8 
119.4 
48.9 
O.i'81 
Thursday.... 18 
29.947 
60 2 
55.0 
N. 
60.9 
70 2 
53.3 
118.0 
49 7 
Friday . 10 
29 940 
60.3 
52.9 
E. 
60.8 
7i 2 
46 l 
115 4 
41.4 
S itnrday .... 2 > 
29.813 
6U7 
55 1 
S.E. 
10.2 
67 9 
51.1 
108.3 
449 
0.133 
29.805 
60.7 
55.0 
.. 
615 
09.7 
52.1 
118.0 
48 1 
0.183 
REMARKS. 
14tli.—Slight showers nt intervals, otherwise generally fine; thunder at 10 A M. 
15th.—Heavy shower at, 2P.M,nnd slight shower between land 4 r M, etherwlse fine 
and frequently blight. 
18th —Bright warm morning : showers about 1.30 p M. and in evening; fair between. 
17th.—Bright early ; frtqnent thunder and occasional lightning irom 11 A.M. to 6.30 P.M., 
heavy shower at 4.30 p 51., and Irequent slight showers. 
18th.—Hull, with spots of rain in morning; bright afternoon and evening. 
19th.—Hazy, with a good deal of cloud ill morning; frequently bright in aftercoon. 
20 th.—bh wiry morning; fair afternoon and evening 
A showery week ; temperature near the average.- Q. J SVM INS. 
