Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-07-18
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IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURE LANDS.
BY ALEXANDER HYDE.

Next to wood ashes probably the most
effectual medicine for an old pasture is
phosphate of lime. This compound in its
commercial form, is expensive, but may
be cheaply obtained in most places in the
crude state of bones. These are lying
round most farmers premises, and by the
side of the streets, and especially around
laughter-houses, and may generally be
had for the gathering If any one will
invent cheap mill for grinding bones, he
will do the agricultural community great
service. In their raw state they disinte-
gate very slowly. How destitute of phos-
phate of lime our old pastures are, may
be inferred from the eagerness most cows
manifestto chew any old bone that comes
in their way. 1t may, in some instances.
pay to strew grazing lands with the COM
mercial phosphates, but the cost is so
large. and the liability to adulteration so
great, that we cannot commend its gener-
al practice. Still we dislike to see so
many bones lying useless, while the pas
lures are starving for the want of them,
and we have found the most economical
mode of dissolving them is to place the
bones in cask in alternate layers with
wood ashes. If the bones are put in a
cask in the fore part of summer and kept
moist, they will be softened by autumn so
that they can be shoveled over in the COM
post heaps. The fermentation of the COM
post will complete the disintegration, and
we know no top-dressing superior to this
compound. Ashes alone are excellent,
but when we add bones to them, it is like
adding butter and sugar to dough. 1t
makes bread into cake. n7
However important the earthly or inor
ganic elements of plant food may be for
pastures, still there are few grazing lands
that will not be benefited by an applica-
ton of nitrogenous and carbonaceous
manure. If these lands are situated at
too great a distance from the barnyard for
the economical transportation of compost,
it will often pay to make a compost heap
on the pasture.
Ifmuck from neighboring swamp, or
leaf-mould from a neighboring pond can
be easily obtained, hill of either may be
thrown up, and in the course of year it
will disintegrate and become inpregnated
with rich gases from the air. IF some
ashes, or refuse lime, or dead horse can
be added to the pile, the addition will be
a great improvement. In many forests
the leaf mould has accumulated in excess
of the wants of the trees, and this mould
alone will be found rich in potash, lime
and other mineral elements, as we'll as in
carbonaceous matter. The value of leaves
as manue has been greatly underestima-
ted.
Many pastures are so situated that they
can be irrigated by some brook running
through or near them. 1t may seem par
adoxical that we can recommend drain
ing and irrigation on the same land, but
strange as it may seem, it is both sound
philosophy and good practice. 1t is the
stagnant water in land which renders it
cold and barren. If the land is thorough
ly drained so that the water viii soak
through it, brook may be turned upon
it with great advantage. Water is not
only great absorbent of the gasses of
the air, but it also contains in solution
many mineral elements, and as it perco-
lates through the soil, it imparts to the
land much fertilizing matter. Whoever
has a brook running through his pasture,
and does not distribute its waters over the
surface, neglects great resource of fertil-
ity. A furrow nearly horizontal can be
ploughed, which will carry the waters
whittier we wish, and wherever they are
distributed they will tell their own story
There are many out of the way, hillv
and rocky pastures in New England,
which scarcely pay theiexpense offencing,
taxes, and care. OF them we should say
as was said of Ephraim, They are joined
to their idols; let them alone" The best
treatment such pastures can receive is to
let them return to their original use, the
growth of timber. This mode of treat
ment hardly comes under our subject,
The improvement of pasture lands" but
We are SO well satisfied that many of our
old pastures deserve no better treatment,
that we should not make our essay COM
plete without referring to it. In some To-
calities the land, after it has raised crop
of timber, may again be converted to
grazing In others it pays better to keep
it permanently in forest. These forests,
besides their direct return OF. fuel and
lumber, have an ameliorating effect upon
the climate breaking the force of the
winds. adding to the amount of moisture,
purifying the air, and otherwise modifying
the atmosphere. We are delighted to see
white pines springing up in many Of the
old pastures of New England, and as cat
tie never browse upon them, they are OBJ
tanning quite a foothold. They grow with
great rapidity, and farmers cannot put
their out of the way, rough, stony lots
to better use than the growth of white
pines. They not only furnish excellent
lumber, but their resinous exhalations
have sanitary influence on the air, which
will greatly diminish the tendency to pull
monary consumption. that fatal disease of
our New England climate. Aassachu-