Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-03-29
Pa.tarinr of srosk.-pls Fields.

Mr.. VIM. 81. Ladd, of Richmond, Jefferson
county, Ohio, one of the best farmers and stock
growers in the State, through the Ohio Farmer
gives his experience and views on the subject Of
pasturing for stock, as follows:
AS the time approaches for turning animals
to grass, | wish 10 say few words in relation
to pasturing stock, and enclosures for that pur-
pose.
Some farmers have an idea that sheep are
particularly injurious to other stock. l have
heard persons say, "Sheep poison the pastures
for horses and cattle" Were it not for preiu-
dice of this kind, many would keep sheep who
do not. Animals usually prefer clean to filthy
food. Herbivorous animals reject grass recent
ly trodden upon by themselves, or others, un-
less compelled to eat it, and none more particu-
lar in this respect than sheep. Put one hundred
sheep in an enclosure of five acres, and they
viii pass over large part of the lot before their
curiosity is satisfied. By this time they have
probably filed themselves, and will lie down to
ruminste from one to three hours. They will
then rise to eat again, and finding a large por-
ton of the herbage recently trodden upon, they
will seek the parts missed before, in search Of
untarnished food, and by the time they have fill
ed themselves a second time, they have proba-
bly, been over nearly the entire lot The third
time, they in like manner reject what they had
passed over before, and keep running In search
of pure herbage, and so travel, perhaps, four
times as much to satisfy hunger, as they would
under more favorable circumstance The sheep
will suffer from these causes, and horses and
cattle confined with them will also refuse to fill
themselves, look gaunt, and lose flesh, although
tramping abundance Of grass under foot. l am
satisfied tits because some confne their animals
to too small enclosures, or put too many on in
proportion to the pasture, that this hurtful pref
udice has arisen. -D
Ny stock do best when all the different varie-
ties run together. Last summer had fourteen
msres and colts, six cattle, and one hundred
sheep, il s range of ninety-six acres, about
twenty five of which is woodland; and it was
almost universally remarked BY those who saw
them, how very fat they were.
i'll had ten adjacent fields, containing one
hundred acres, and intended them all for summer
pasture, would lay down the cross fences, SO
that all the animals should have free access to
the entire range. In so large range, none
have to eat today what they passed over yes
te1day, but may leave what they have trodden
upon, until it is purified by the air, deWs, or
rains. So they always have fresh, pure herbage
before them.
Again, different animals prefer different vaTi-
cites Of food. What is refused by the horse may
be reIished by the COW; and what is rejected by
both these. may be delicious to the sheep
Again, where the Typographical features of
country are like this-yery uneven surface,
heavily timoered, and watered by innumersble
streams-taere is almost slways some part of
the farm, including the woodland, better suited
to grazing than tillage; while anOtherpart may |
be well adapted to cultivation, and by fencing |
the former, including woodland, steep slopes,
&C., all IN one enclosure, very heavy item Of
expense for cross fences may be sSved.