PERMANENT GRASSES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2612, 25 January 1894, Page 3

PERMANENT GRASSES.

(Concluded.) Mr P. P. Outhwaite in 1866 on permanent grasses says :—" I will now venture to make a few remarks with respect to laying down land to permanent pasture. I must first say I had ns idea when I first proposed the cultivation of grass seeds for discussion at this club last ©ctober, that the cattle plague could have made such a change in the value of graßS laud. At present it is impossible to foretell what will be the eventual result. From the low price we have been realising for grain for the last few years, a great breadth of arable land has been laid down to permanent grass. In my travels this spring I have seen a great many fields which had apparently been in grass from 3-6 years, where the plough was again at work making ready for the grain crop, so that instead of arable land being laid to grass for some years, I am afraid a great deal of new-laid grass fields will be ploughed up again. I will, however, state my experience, and also the plan adopted upon Sir Walter Trevelyan's estates in $ orthumberland. In the first place I do not think this part of the county well adapted for laying down land to grass. We have not a sufficiency of rain during the hot months of Bummer. Kainy districts are best suited for the growth of permanent grass. When I was with my brother at B.iiuesse we laid down several pieces of | land to grass to make fields more uniform i and also to add to the quantity. I will I state the plan we followed upon one piece oi aleven acres, which I think did the best in the lot, It was as good land as any on the farm ; 22 years previous it had been limed at the rate 4 tons fa the acre. It was made thoroughly clean and sown with hybrid turnips, which were grown with 12 tons of manure and 3cwt of guano per acra. The whole of the turnips were fed off with sheep. The land was ploughed about 5 inches deep in March (September N Z.), and we put the drag through it m April (October K.Z.), aud harrowed it down into a fine tilth. Through May (November N.Z.) and the greater part of June (December N.Z.) wo used Gtrrett's horse hoe with all the broad hoes on, so that any weeds, if any were growing, wore cut out aud a fresh lot of seeds brought near the surface that they might •rcrmiiiate. Towards the end of June (December in N.Z.) we ploughed it light, with a view o getting better cover for the bones we were going to apply, mid also to out up any thistles or o'.her roots that wore growing below Where the horeo hoe had gone we then put on one ton of bones (ono half each and duot) per aero itt <- na laughed furrow, and furrowed them •!!. B? Using the howe hoo so often the land was as liiie as garden soil. We should have soui the seeds the first woek in July (January N.Z.), but they wen) supplied by our landlord, and there was somo delay in getting them, and we had <o wait till the middle of July (January N.Z.)- Not having a machine at that time for sowing mixed'seeds they were sown by hand, the small seeds in one direction and the light grasses the contrary way of the field, which insured a more oven distribution of the seeds. We then put a light brush harrowover and tho day following the heaviest roller we had. 1 have nover seon a pieco uf grass which has not been lujd down

more than 15 years look so well in any part of my travels. I should recommend all land which is adapted for growing turnips and which is to be laid down to grass to be treated pretty nearly in the same way. The only difference I should make would be this: I should sow lib of rape sacd per acre. I think it would answer two purposes. In the first place if there were more hares in the neighbourhood than there ought to be, they prefer rape to grass, and if there were not many hares, the rape could protect tha young grasses very much during the first winter. I think the last week in June (Dec. N.Z.) the best time for sowing permanent grasses. It allows sufficient time for destroying the weeds and also for the grasses to set strong enough to stand the winter. It may very justly be said that the plan I have recommended is very expensive, and not within the power of a tenant farmer to carry out. This I admit, and consider where a tenant farmer sacrifices the grain crops and treats the land properly in every other way, the landlord should supply the bones and seeds. lam satisfied unless land is put in good condition before the seeds are sown, it will not be a good grass field 40 years afterwards. About 20 years ago a sod of grass a foot square was cut out of one of the best grass fields in the North Riding of Yorkshire and sent to Professor Way to analyse. 1 asked him to give me a description of the best grasses, and what proportions he considered sufficient for an acre of ground, which is as follows: — Best perennial rye grass 1 bushel, cocksfoot half a bushel, white clover 6fl>, rib grass 21b, cow grass 3ffi>, meadow fescue 3 pecks, yellow clover lib, timothy grass 2ft), creßted dog's tail \ peck. The only fault I find is in the quantities. I like to have all the ground thoroughly covered the first winter. I think with being thickly set they stand the winter better. I shall now give a short account of the method adopted for laying land down to grass upon Sir Walter Trevelyan's estate at Wallington. The estate geneially lays high, and is an exceedingly moist climate, and is, I think, much better adapted for the growth of grass than grain crops. Sir Walter, through the assistance of his agent, has sown down a large breadth of arable land to grass within the last 15 years, only keeping about one-fifth portion apf the estate under the plough. The soil generally is of a retentive loam upon a clay subsoil. The whole land before" being laid down to grass was well drained, then limed at the rate of 8 tons to the acre, fallowed during the summer, and turnips are taken upon all that portion adapted for their growth. About one bushel of oats to the acre is sown in the spring. The seeds are sown as soon as the land is put in such a condition as to ensure their not being buried too deep. The grass is not fed the first autumn; cattle are grazed upon it the summer following, and in the spring, after that 3 cwt of guano per acre is sown, the cost of which is supposed to be defrayed from the oat crop that was sown with the grass seeds. This is the plan generally adopted upon the Wallington estate, but from the conversation I had with Mr Gow he is of opinion that the best plan for laying down land to permanent grass would be without a. grain crop, for as 1 have said before if good soil is in the condition it ought to be the grain crop would almost invariably get lodged,-md would consequently destroy the young grasses and would also prevent the land being so thoroughly freed from all kinds of weedp, a? of course the sowing of the grain crops must take place some weeks previous to its being necessary for sowing the grass seeds. I recommend new-laid grass to be grazed 3 or 4 years first with cattle, where it can possibly be done and then sheep may occasionally be put on as a change afterwards.