Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-10-11
AGRIC ULTU n E,


IL 10 often asserted that the older pasture
becomes the more valuable 1t lie; that land may
be pastured for an indefinite period and the
grasses constantly increase IN rich ness and a.
bundance. Mr.. Willard 10 his letters from Eng
land. states that euch is The opinion entertain
ed by the farmers of seue loo Alities 10 that
country, and pastures that have been grazed a
hu red years without detsrioatipg are the
evldeuce With which they support their asser.
tons We regret having no more definite in
formation about these pastures, the yield, |
quality, and variety of grasses as compared
with that Of half century ago; the kind Of
soil, and the amcuut OF top dressing they re-
ceive. II it is 3 fact that land may be laid
down to grass, constantly pastured without
any manure except the droppings OF the stock,
and the qualify Of the feed improved and its
yield ma attained or increased to- en- iudeh finite
time, then some Of the eoundest theories of the
hes, Agricultural writers are upset, and the
stock grower and dairy farmer may deem theirs
the only species OF busbandry which takes from
the land without impoverishipg it.
But we are not prepared to believe that such
Is the fact. II be, why so much talk about
renovstipg, top dressing, aud fertiiz!ng the old
pastures Of Eastern dairy regions Of this coun-
try7 Why should the Western prairies, that
have been RraJed for centuries, be benefited by
glowing and seeding1 Their grasses, II this
theory be correct, should b" the tbritiest aud
n ost aromatic OF any ph'r. 90 the CONT
neut. which fats cattle best, rives the most
delicious butter and cheese, bluegrass red.
top, white. clover, or the wild coarse prairie
grasses2 The product Of pasture Is grses;
, cattle consume it, out Of It milk ana meat are
produced, and these are removed from the land
the excrement of the stock replace but part
, AT a this part 10 usually baf isted Ia the air
! 10 pasturng, then, there is constant drain on
: the soil, and how car this fail 10 the course o.
time, 10 impovorish It II the elements Mt cessa-
! ry the thrift of the hne, rich grasses, caus
4 them 10 Sive place TO those ! -kcr and gross
!, err 1t is obvious that without more fer,ilizinl
:, material is furnished the land than sac och
supplies while o. the grass, pastures after a
a limited period will detcriorute,
a When land lie newly seeded large crops o
a grass are obtaiued If 1t be IN good condition
i, After Two or three years the yield 1iminishes
: The sowu grasses have reached their high 70
= perfection, aud henceforward gradually giv
4 place TO the natural grasses, the Germs O
Il which are 10 the soil, Frequently the 6r'
= grasses die out faster than the succeeding one
% come in, Hence the pasture rapidly become
i poor; numerous spots ATE LETT almost bare
herbsge. At this period grain farmers ususll
"a plow, COW grain and re-seed. They say th
Is grass has "ruu out But il the field 70 not dtt
I, turhed il presently begins 10 improve 'h
natural grasses spread and occupy he whfl
y gEoGad, aud the pasture yields es much lee
a as when newly seeded, snd that of bett'
"A quality. This may continue for a long tim
"a the limit depending op the r.,hpess OF the sol
IS bu: the highest point will at last be reached
\ sooner in Grsin lands than In those more ma
, ur4l TO grass-when the sweet, nutritive sras
"a es will begin TO give place 10 those cosrs@r
"a quality, lees relshed by stock, and Of qu!es
40 growth and decay. Meantime the soil has a
"a cumu,ated rich supplies OF food from TIE d
=. csylus grass roots snd o'hsr sources, ior
u crop demanding different elemen'e. Grsss &
: Nc: Impoverished tue soil, only exhausted
81 own pee uliar food and 'he lard is iu cond
"A iion to grov large crops OF grain or roots
> Rural New Yorker.