A Handbook for Farmers and Small Holders Author:James Long Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. GRASS LAND. THE land which is laid down to grass in this country may be divided into permanent and temporary meadows and pastures. The grass land... more »s which are permanent include many which have been grass from time immemorial, and others which have been laid down during recent years, including many excellent fields which have been converted from arable to pasture since the advent of agricultural depression, under the most approved of modern systems. It is now recognised that there is a pronounced difference in the systems under which fields are laid down. A meadow, for example, should be composed of grasses which bloom as nearly as possible at one time, so that when mown for hay they are all fit for the scythe. A pasture, on the other hand, should be composed of grasses which bloom at different times, so that the stock which is placed upon it may be continually supplied with successions of each. There is considerable difference between the permanent and temporary grasses; and we shall have to show in this chapter what are the advantages ofeach variety. We hold the opinion that upon suitable soils the grasses suitable to alternate husbandry are the most profitable to the farmer who occupies a large acreage of arable land. They provide him with a larger margin for profit than other grasses, making allowance for the expense of cultivation and the necessary interregnum between grain crops, and they enrich the soil in a manner which few, if any other, crops can. The great French chemist, Joulie, says:—" Nitrogen being the most expensive manure to buy, it is not an economical plan to maintain part of the land as arable and part as grass; for, while the arable uses up nitrogen, the grass accumulates it in excess." Again : —"Whilst roots and cereal crops deprive the soil o...« less