Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-11-09
PASTURING MEADOWS.


PASTURING MEADOWS.
The farmer who pastures his perma-
nent meadows, or meadows that he intends
to NOW after pasturing, in our opinion
departs from true economy and good
farming. In taking from a meadow one
crop of hay in season, the farmer takes
all he is warranted in taking without max
ing full return in manure. The grass
grown upon meadow after haying, if
allowed to remain. and rot upon the sur
face, partially returns to the soil the
nutritious elements drawn out of it in
the growth of the season.
We are not certain but that the yield
of grass, on good, deep soil, may be
kept up for several years, simply by al
lowing all the grass that grows between
moving and winter to die, and rot upon
the surface. We may be asked: "How
can that be possible? If one or two tons
of hay cut and removed from an acre. so
much of the constituents of the soil is re-
moved, and its fertility to that extent
impaired. %
We concede that the ash of the hay
"a very small per cent of its weight, is
drawn wholly from the soil, while its
organic matter, its carbon, oxygen, n.y.
drogen, and nitrogen are derived, prox-
imately and remotely, from the air.
Another consideration the ash which is
carried of in the crop of hay is not all
drawn from the surface of the soil, but
much of it is drawn by the long roots
from the subsoil.
Again, the nutritious properties drawn
from the subsoil and from the atmos-
phere, are not all expended upon the
stem that is removed, but also upon the
roots which remain in the soil, and rot
ting, increase the supply of vegetable
mold, so that taking one or two tons of
hay from the acre removes few pounds
of ash from the soil and subsoil, it may
deposit more vegetable mold near the
surface, accessible to growing plants,
than it removes, and it may possibly in
crease the amount of available ash in the
| surface soil.
We will now 60 little further and
say that if the aftermath be suffered to
grow and rot upon the soil, the yield of
grass may be increased for several years.
This Is not mere hypothesis, but is found
ed upon the actual experience of many
farmers. 1t is within the experience of
many, that good meadow land often will
60 on increasing its yield for three or
four years, without any top dressing with
manure, and then perhaps begin to de.
cline. and this even when part of the
aftermath is fed off. How much longe,
might 1t be expected to keep up its max
imum yield were all the aftermath suffer
ed to die on the surface? The amour
r of vegetable mold it would gather from
, the atmosphere, and the salts it woul,
draw up from the subsoil. depositin,
: both near the surface, could not but in
crease the available fertility of the soil
There are other potent reasons VIII
! permanent meadows should never /
= pastured. The aftermath remainin
! ofords protection against injury fro
! drouths and from severe winters. Glove
meadows, and also timothy in a less,
degree, suffer much from heaving in III
>, favorable winters This would be great
D. mitigated. if not entirely prevented,
the mulch which the aftermath woul
n afford, and this same mulch would Or
n vent the evaporation of the moisture
IF the surface. thus mitigating the effec
of drouth in the latter part of spring al
in early part of summer.
,e In addition to these consideration
70 cattle, in feeding upon meadows, espe
tally when softened by rains. tread o
= the grass more or less, rendering the 81
N face uneven. 1t is probable that 90
At natural meadows, if never pastured,
h. dressed once in two or three years vi
a. ashes, lime, plaster and bone d.
DIS would go on without deterioration, vie
nd ing heavy burdens of grass for a scr
ba or more of years.-Amerzcma Ru
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