Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-01-17
Old Pastures, or News

There are two opinions about pastlres
One is that it is more profitable to fsed
only newly seeded land, using 1t not ihJe
than two years before plowing it up FIR
reseeiing; and the otherto let it reman
for many years, allowing the surface
become fully occupied by the Matte
grasses, these being supposed TO be bet
adapted to develop its power of produ-
ton.
If we consider this question according
to the general practice of farming cor
munities in this country, We cannot hes
tate to decide that the greatest profit WI
follow the first-named method, for thee
is no disputing the proposition tht
timothy, red-top, orchard grass, and I'd
clover, newly sown on well-prepard
and well-manured soil, will produce muo
more forage (and of a highly nutritioS
kind) than will close turf of blue gras,
white clover, etc., which has for maV
years had full possession of the groun,
and has had no artificial stimulatio-
The difference in amount will be muo
more than enough to repay the cost {
breaking up, maturing and seeding.
1t is not now question whether tb
cows will do better on one kind of pa
ture than on the other, only which vii
produce the largest money profit. Ih
single cow were allowed to roam over tn
acres of short old pasture, picking up hr
whole living in white clover and the ta-
der sprouts of blue grass, there is no deV-
ing that she would give more milk, moe
butter, and more che eese than she wouldif
feeding, however abundantly, on tie
coarser grasses of an artificial pastup.
But our purpose in farming is not to ct
the largest possible yield from our COWS,
but TO get the largest possible yield frm
our land. The COWS are only implements
for converting the products OF the fed
into the saleable products of the dairy
An average tirst-class COW coming inin
May will make 200 pounds of butter in
the season on good natural pasture, ,ut
she will require at least three acresof
land for her exclusive use. At 30 cats
per pound the seasons produce WILDE
| $60-or $50 per acre. On good att
fetal pasture she may give only so
pounds, worth $54, but she will be fully
supported by the produce of a single ace.
| Supposing that one-third Of the prodpe
is consumed by the interest on the ezra
number of cows and by the cost of keep
| ing up the pastures-which is surely a
very liberal alloWancey-we shall have $50
instead of $40 as the return per acre. In
addition to this, we shall make ourselves
much more independent of variatiOnsof
the seasons, for a well-worked rich
meadow is far less injured by excessive
drought than any natural pasture on he
same soil could be. This, Of itself, will
often equal the drawback we have al
lowed for extra cost.
To put the proposition in another fom
we may expect, from the foregoing calsu
lation, as large cash profit from ten
acres of artificial as from eighteen aces
of natural pasture, and there would be
far less risk of loss from unusual drought.
1t is not proposed, of course, that rough
or waste lands should be used for ahif-
cial pastures Qhey would not repay the
cost, only that such fields as are sucep.
tible of profitable subjection should NOT
be left wild. g-g
How nearly natural pastures may be
made equal to artificial ones by
the use of the harrow and liberal tor
dressings is proposition not considered
above. The cost would generally be lesl
than that of reseeding, and the result
equally good. In any case, no pasture
old or new-should ever be overstocked
Am. AgFfcuttuTtSt.