Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-04-23
agricultural.
IMPROVEMENT OF L.rND NJ
SHEEP.

Mr.. II. G.. Abbott, of North Vassalboro,
Maine, concludes a communication in the
Maine Farmer, on sheep raising with the
following statement, which was made in
corroboration of his opinion that there is as
good encouragement for farmers to increase
their nocks of sheep as any other kind of
farm stock and that if farmers would keep
their sheep on their tillage land, they would
improve it to almost the amount of the ex
ponso of keeping the sheep the year round.
l made an experiment in this direction
four years since, that satisfied me on this
point. 1 will state the same, hoping it may
be the means of inducing some to try it
also.
l had a grass field of about 80 acres,
smooth and free from stumps and stones
sloping gently to the west, and of clay loan
soil. One end of the field was so complete
ly run out, that nothing but white and yell
low weed was to be seen on the field. Not
having barn manure sufficient to dress what
1 had up and this field in addition, I con-
cluded to turn out 10 acres of the poor end
to pasture, and after pasturing it two or
three years, to take it up and dress it and
putt into grass. Accordingly l run cheap
board fence across the field inclosing 10
acres, and put on the piece so sheep, with
out lambs, and kept them there two seasons.
They fed it close to the ground, not allow
ing blade of anything to get over an inch
high.
In the spring of the second season per-
ceived a greenness on the field looking diff
g., "a 4 F..
and was lead to examine the same, and, to
my surprise, l found that there was a
sprinkling of grass coming up over the
field. l put so sheep on the second year,
and noticed through the season that the
sprinkling of grass incresed so much so
that l called the attention of one of my
neighbors to the fact. His reply was that
he had been noticing it for some time.
The next spring, at the usual time OF
turning out sheep to grass, this piece looked
so well, that l concluded to let it come up
and NOV it, Accordingly l took up the
fence, and when came to put on my now
ing machine and hand scythes, to the sur
prise of myself and my men, | had the
heaviest piece of grass on my farm-esti-
mated by good judges, who helped cut it,
to be tons to the acre, and some parts 2i
tons, and of the very best quality, with
hardly a stalk of white or yellow weed to
be seen. / cut the same piece last season,
with like results.
will state that | put upon the field about
two bushels of plaster to the acre, and q
very small amount of grass seed. also
went over the whole 30 acres in the SAINT
field, but found no such results. l could
see from the road all the season, to an inch
where the fence was taken up. | will no
undertake here to go into the figures show
ing the advantage Of this manner of treat
ment for worn out land, but l do believe
that l cut AS much hay the two past years
from the piece of ground from the effect o
sheep running on it, as | should from
dressing of yard manurc-and the expense
Of blowing and fitting, and the application
of the manure must have been quite al
item-whcreas the dressing from the sheer
and the application of the same did not cos
anything; for sheep are generally pasturcd
on land that we cannot cultivate.
One suggestion more, and that is the i'm
portancc of going over our grass fields in
the spring of the year and scattering on q
sprinkling of grass seed. Nothing of such
light expense pays 50 well.