Besides, the grasses most fit for the sithe are not hest calculated to make a good pasturage; nor ought seeds in the first mentioned instance to be sown so thick as is necessary when the grazing system is to be adopted. We have already said, that red clover and rye-grass are the proper seeds for a crop, either to be used in soiling, or to be manut.tetured into hay ; but when pasture is in tended, Wine clover should be liberally used. A pas ture field can scarcely be too thick planted at the out set ; because, being constantly eaten down by the cattle, the thickness of bottom is not detrimental, nay rather advantageous to its after growth. It is of importance, 71 OW C NT r, not to put beasts too early in the season upon new grass, and particularly' to keep them off when the weather is wet. After the surface is consolidated, leis risk of damage is encountered, though at all times pas turing by heavy cattle is attended with evil consequences during wet weather.
We are h•iends to alternate husbandry, and therefore hostile to every scheme calculated to keep land in grass constantly, or for ally period comparatively long. A few old pastures may be useful for particular purposes; hut, generally speaking, none should exceed the age of five or six years, in a country like Great Britain, where bread-corn is so much in demand, and where a return of value is generally obtained, sufficient to defray the expenses incurred by alternate husbandry. Perhaps, in many cases, one year in grass is sufficient for every useful purpose; and we arc almost certain that this sys tem, upon a good soil, is the most profitable one that can be adopted, when discretionary management is per mitted. There are many soils, however, which require to be longer grazed, not on account of the profit obtain ed by allowing them to remain in that state, but en tirely because they will not pay for ploughing, unless freshened and ins igorated by grass. The most suitable way of accomplishing these objects is to understock ; for the extent of improvement by grass, upon such soils as those alluded to, is regulated entirely' by the way in which they are depastured. If eaten bare, and left ex posed to a hot sun, or a scourging wind, the roots of the plants arc enfeebled, and prevented from flourishing, whilst the surface, deprived or a cover whereby it may be warmed and fructified, continues equally barren and unproductive as when the grasses were originally sown. Another evil of overstocking such soils, and that not a trifling one, is, that whenever artificial grasses be come languid and feeble, their place is supplied by the aboriginal inhabitants. Moor-fog, that bane of grass upon thin soils, is sure to take possession of the surface, and to put the ground into a worse condition when ploughing is again attempted, than it was when brass seeds were sown.
From these things it will appear, that a considerable share of judgment is required to manage grass land, so that the soil may be improved, and the occupier benefit ed. The last object cannot be accomplished, if the first is neglected ; hence it often happens, that the grazing trade becomes a had one, when in the hands of injudi cious persons. The radical error lies in overstocking ; and it is even attended with great risk to stock any way fully, till the nature of each season is in some measure ascertained. From inattention to these matters, a crop of grass may be consumed, without benefiting the owner one half so much as it might have clone under different management. Nay, in some instances, grass has been
lost altogether by overstocking, the cattle depastured thereon being little, if at all, improved at the end of the season. To keep a full bite, is the maxim of every good grazier; hut this cannot be obtained without under -,toeking, because an adverse season may come on, and blast the fairest prospect.
Upon thin soils of every description, sheep are a safer stock than black cattle, because the former will thrice where die latter will starve. All annual stock may also be considered as preferable to a breeding or standing One in all low country districts; and perhaps rearing of lambs for the butcher, and feeding their dams after wards, is the most profitable way of keeping sheep These things, however, will be treated of with mor, propriety in the next chapter.
On Breaking old Crass Land by Mc I'lougk, and /lir /floe j‘mizer :Tay znanaging it of crwards.
There is not a single branch of rural practice in which the farmers of Great Britain are more defective, than the culture of land broken up from old grass, or one where greater improvement may be introduced, than in the several processes necessary before the roots of these grasses can be sufficiently destroyed, so that crops of grain and artificial grasses may be successfully cultiva ted. By old grass land, we mean land that has remain ed twenty, thirty, fifty, or a greater numher of years, without being turned up by the plough. Grass land of such ages rarely falls to be broken up by many farmers, and those who are concerned in that process, seldom have an opportunity of repeating any improi enient made during the course of their first attempt to cultivate old grass land. Hence, though few branches of husbandry afford room for more successful cultivation than the breaking up of old grass land ; yet it generally happens, that those so engaged, seldom gain much profit to them selves, or convey any benefit to the land under their management. It is presumed, that to the imperfect mode of culture often practised when the plough was introduced into old grass lands, may be attt ibuted the strong antipathy which influences the majority or pro prietors against renovating them by tillage. In fact, it is consistent with our personal know ledge, that many fields of such land have been considerably injured in consequence of the plough being used, which was en tirely owing to the proper mode of destroying the abo riginal inhabitants being omitted. Under these circum stances, the antipathy of proprietors against breaking up their grass lands, need not excite surprise. A field of old grass land is a treasure which deserves to be guarded, and ought not to be wantonly broken up, un less it can be shown, that the introduction of tillage will not deteriorate its value, or lessen its ability to carry good crops of grass afterwards. The object of this Sec tion is, therefore, to show, that it is perfectly practica ble to plough such lands without dissipating the trea sure contained in them, and to restore them to grass, af ter carrying a round of crops, and being cleaned by bare summer fallow or drilled turnips, according to the na ture oftheir soils respectively, or to the climate in which they are situated, and other local circumstances. Plough ing the land at proper intervals will never reduce the natural value of any land, provided the management in the interim is Well executed.