Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-09-03
agricultural,
Qualities and .Pasturage.

= rich clover field.
SO in iattening cattle. Some pastures.
even whore the grass seems short and
scSnty, will enable the cattle TO lay on
muscle. and fat, while on another pas
ture where the grnss 10 altogether more
abundant, thoy will fail to do so.
SO tar, our people have net given time
TO all investigation OF the reasons tor
this; but they ought 10 be understood BY
every person who Is engaged in dairy
products, or The tattening OF cattle. In
yestigslion into the nature and details OF
his business, 10 as importan, TO the sue
cess OF tho farmer, as il is to The manu-
facturer. Two manufactures. establish
ments, both using the Same amount oil
capital aud help. and running side by
side, may come to very different results.
By the use Uf some small and apparently
uuimportant piece OF machinery, one es.
adjustment will not only sustain itself,
but realize profit ut ten or twenty per
cent. upon its capital. AT the same time,
tor the want OF proper observation. iu-
quiry and investigation, the other Will
not only tail 10 get profit. but reduce
its capital. Such case has been related
to Us, where the cost OF the piece of
machinery which was omitted was not OF
the value oil five pei cent. though somo
hundreds OF them were required in the
mill.
So much tor learning what particular
things were needed 10 make the business
successful one.
This investigation is just IA essential
TO dairJmSu or cSttle.feeder. in order 10
profit by his business. He must under
stand the qualities OF his pasture soils.
in order 10 know what qualities OF
grasses they will yield. The stock sed-
ing upon them will soon show by their
appearance what kind OF herbago tho
pastures produce.
This point was well sustained at the
meeting of the Massachusetts State
Board OF Agriculture, in November, 1871.
Dir. Fearing, OF bingham, says: I've
have in our town what We call lon
ground, not exactly meadow. and we
find tina. the milk OF the COWS feeding
there is quite inferior to the milk OF tho
cows that iced upon our high land.
The grass is English grass, not what We
call meadow grass, but it grows on low
land where the log lie, in the morning
Nj. Ellsworth, OF Barre. That IS
my experience, and it has boen consider
able on that point have found iuyafi-
ably when my COWS run where there is
largo abundance OF fresh feed that tho
low increased. but the quality Was not
near so good Tor making butter. When
the milk WAS obtained from small
amount OF good ieed it was richer, and |
could make more butter than could from
large amount of iced OF poorer quality.
IL is 40 in winter ss well rs summer;
whom We give poorer quality of feed.
aud WORK in straw and meadow hay. TIC
milk and buttsr are poorer in proper
ton"
These ,isws being admitted, the quss-
lion that naturally arises is
What can be done to improve pastures?
Where the land is low. and ths growth
is y variety OF what are called water
grasses" drSinage is Indispensable.
Ploughiug and manure will accomplish
something; but they will not bring
permanent remedy and the operation
will be an Improbable one il il precedes
drainage. In thousands OF what are
called pasture runs. in New England,
"a marrow ditch, some two feet deep. turn
ing with the turns OF the valley, will es-
seutia ! change the character OF the
grasse in the course OF two or three
years. Pasture lands more frequently
need drai age than is generally supposed.
When surplus water is taken OIL, liner
sorts OF grasses will come in, and the
general growth, or bulk, will be incrsas'
ed. On the other hand. the grasses
which flourish best in moist or wet soils,
being deprived OF their natural element
will gradually weaken and die out, leav-
ing the liner grasses to occupy the whole
soil
1t Is not only the low lands which
need draining; many hill pastures need
it rs much, IS the growth upon them in
Dictates too mach water. juat as clearly as
the low ground, themselves. No plough
ing OF manuring will secure so many
benefits q. the draining. We have known
land that was infested with variety OF
coarse water grasses and skunk cabbage,
brought into a heavy growth of herds
grass and redtop, by simple drainage;
no seed, manure or plOughing being adj
ded 1t had. however, the wash OF hills
on two sides.
When the land is drained. then it may
be proftaby ploughcd snd manured,
and will not fail to make satisfactory re-
turns. The finer sorts OF grasses will,
by their greater numbers and more vigor-
Gus growth, check and weaken those
which were natural TO the wet land. and
finally receive all the powers of the
soul
In order to improve great many OF
our pastures there is no need OF any
narticnlar scientific exnerimnnis Whit