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Pasturing Too Much

Pasturing Too Much image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
June
Year
1873
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A correspondent of the Country Gentleman has sonie sensible ideas, as foHows : It is gradually getting to bo understood that it does not pay to pasturo goed grain land in Suninier. On lands that f'or any rcasoh raay not be cultiTated- those that aro too moist, too uneven, rough or stony.-where the grass is not' easüy gathered or may not pay for gathering- of course pasturing is the only way to secure thesuiall income such land may afford. But the bettcr way is to iaiprove suoh land. If it is too wet, underdrain it and make it dry. Luw, wet lands are very generally rich. and' pay well for improving. Rough, stony lands abo often ptiy weii iorc!onring and bringing into cultivation. Henoe, sucli lands should only bo left for permanent pasturage when it is impracticai.Ia to bring tliem into good. coudition for cultivation. Good permanent grass landa, sure for a fair yield of hay or pasture, eannot be pastured to the bost advautage. A portion of the growth that mav be secured f or hay is lost iu a pasí ure. Land covered by droppings oí' stock camiot produce grass, and the rank growth urrounding it will be left. ïhe hoofs of of cattle, ospecially of' horses and colts, tread out and prevent tite irrowth of not a littlo grass. And theft, uñless.tSi s fed very close, more or less will get old and dry and not be eatcn at all, wbile, strange as it may appear, land improves fuster when in meadow than when in pasture. The growth in a meadow malees a tbicker and better sod, snd a rauch larger growfh of grass and clon i roots, and both are left to gradually impiove tho soil. True, this dependa in some measuro on tho treattnent the meadow receives. If frd olosely from the time the hay is removed until Winter, and perhaps to some extent in the Spring, there may be very littlo improvernent, while the grass will be more likely to run out. If not fed close, and Bomething is lelt to protect the soil and grass plants in hot weather, as well as through the Winter, .he crops wilí bo better, the grass ñola out longer. and the improvemaut of the land bo nuore and dedded. It may net be well to leavo too large a growth on the land through the Winter, ai least not enough to sm'other the plilnts or induce mice to live and work under the dead grass ; but this is teldora tbc case- most farmers err the other way. Perhaps two cuttinga for hay, oiig early and the other not fur i'roiu" tliu first o'l September (the Pall growth büing left on the land), will do weïl.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus