Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-06-12
Care of Pastures.

OBSERVATIONS, made this spring for
the purpose, have showed the greatest
superiority of the new grass where it has
grown on land not closely grazed the pre-
vious autumn. The protection which the
old grass afforded from the severe freez-
ing and the sharp blasts of winter, re-
suited in a growth from three to five times
as great as on closely grazed surfaces,
during the first start of the fresh grass.
When the latter had grown one inch, the
former, by actual measurement, had grown
four or five inches. There are several
advantages in permitting long grass in
autumn, and indeed, at all times of the year.
Psychologists, as well a practical horticul-
turists, know that keeping the foliage
cropped short, lessons the extension and
developments of the roots. A pasture
grazed short all the time will therefore be
found to have thinner turf or mass of
roots than one where the grass has lux
uriant growth. The stronger roots will
make an earlier and more vigorous push
in the spring. The old grass, rotting
down, serves as top-dressing. 1t pro-
tects the young plants when the snow dis
appears, and keeps them warmer. The
earth freezes less in winter when thus
protected We have found, by examining
the soil in the early part of winter, when
bare and exposed surface had frozen
down to depth of six inches, that closely
grazed pasture was frozen four inches, and
grass few inches high, making cover
ing of two or three inches, was frozen two
to two and half inches, while thicker
covering, as in rich pastures, had pre-
vented the freezing of more than an inch.
This striking difference must have a great
influence in early growth.
Some farmers pursue the mistaken course
of turning too many animals into their
pastures, with the hope of getting all they
can from the land. They are like the man
who would starve his team for the purpose
of reducing the expenses of horse labor, or
him who would feed out in spring all his
seed, that he might sell the rest Of his
grain. They would obtain much more
from their fields if they allowed the grass
tagrow foot high. We have seen those
WHO were too poor to be economical, and
wasted half their green feed by keeping it
constantly eaten close into the roots. They
continually worked at the short end Of the
lever.
One of the finest farms we ever had the
pleasure of examining, devoted chiefly to
grazing, would cut nearly ton of grass in
| the pastures at almost any time. The beef
| cattle which fattened on these pastures
were worth in the market from hundred
| and fifty to two hundred dollars each
| These fields were subjected to blowing and
rotation every few years, with heavy seed
ing when laid down. A part were kept
permanently in grass-being moved four
or five years. and then pastured two years
with cattle When the hay began to fail
they were restored by the pasturing. Top
dressing was given only to the land when
in meadow, and never to pasture, as it rem.
| dered the feed strong and unpalatable
Plaster was found not only to add to the
quantity of the grass, but, as was asserted
to sweeten it and improve its fattenine
qualities Country Gentleman.