Science and Practice in Farm Cultivation

as different,-the fact being, that when a field is occupied with grass, it may be called a meadow, in contradistinction to that land unde

of arable cultivation; in which case it gets the term of "artificial pasture." Hay from the first of these is called "me

le in the more or less high-backed ridges left by ancient ploughing. Viewed in this way, original pasture is not so extensive as may be supposed; indeed, there is scarcely such a thing at all, as

for our present purpose, be co

anent P

, unenclosed or but

ly about villages, conferring the

and lowlands, l

w, in which the wa

permanent gra

ficial

grasses, clovers, saintfoin, &c.,

cient kind, rather boundary-lines than otherwise. They are never used for haymaking, nor are they cultivated beyond depasturing. These are dotted with patches of rough grass, thorns, briers, and shrubs or stunted trees where the surface is much broken, and the animals

yfields one occasionally meets with around the squatter's cabin even in the wild mountainous parts of Wale

y can bear-there is a remarkable absence of plants other than grasses. Indeed, grass-herbage, and usually of the best species, will prevail, unless in places where there may be stagnant water, in wh

ng during the autumn; but it is aimed up early in spring, for the purpose of taking a crop of hay. Such lands would be impoverished by such constant haymaking; but t

common, for the want of some efficient officer to direct improvements; and so from the water here and there stagnating good herbage is ruined, and from the floods not being controllable, even hay is lost with the summer freshets. But where such land is vested in single enterprising

small streams, which can be directed to flow through, not over them, at any time: they offer a most importa

or thrice in four or five years. These form the greater part of the grass-lands of our country, and are indeed nowhere greener or more productive than in the British Isles; still, as we are an advocate for their cultivation-which, if it does

plants may be made exceedingly useful, these m