Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-16
Sheep as n Cleansing Crop.

How to clear our pastures of brush
and weeds is "A very important question
in all our grazing districts. AS a matter
of fact. upon most dairy farms it requires
the utmost vigilance and considerable
expense annually in cutting brush to
keep them clean. The grazing of cows
and young cattle alone will not clean the
land from brush and weeds. Patches of
briars, whortlcberry, sweet fern, hazel
nuts, scrub-oak or other bush spring up,
and spread year by year sntil the grass
is crowded out, and the land is covered
with young growth of forest trees. In
many OF the older States there are large
tracts of land now covered with timber
that forty years ago were in pasture. In
the case Of rough hilly land that can
never be plowed, this return to forest is
often desirable But "a certain portion
of every farm is needed for pasture, and
if animals can be substituted for human
labor in killing brush and weeds it is
exceedingly desirable to know it. We
recently visited two farms lying side by
side, with no perceptible difference in
the quality or moisture of the soil The
pasture lands were only separated by a
stone fence, but something much broader
than fence line had separated the man
agement of the two farmers The one
pasture had been grazed by cattle for u
long term of years, and the pasture had
gone to seed in a magnificent growth OF
alders, whortlcberry brush, young ma
pies, vervain, thistles and golden rod,
briars and other brush and weeds.
There were patches of grass in perhaps
one.uuarter of the field, where the COWS
got "A scanty living. The other pasture,
in addition to its cattle, had the constant
tread of a flock of one hundred and
sixty sheep, and their hoofs in this case
certainly had been gold. Besides all the
wool, mutton and lambs sold from the
flock, they had paid for their keeping ev-
cry year in freeing the pasture OF brush
and coarse weeds, and in enriching II
with their manure. There was no brush
of any considerable size, and very few
weeds. And we learned from the propri
etor that sheep were the only agents en-
ploycd in keeping the field clean. They
had inhibited the young shoots every year
as they started, and what they had not
killed outright by this cropping they had
kept even with the grass. There was
good feed in every part OF this pasture,
even late in the fall, and the owner OF
this farm used this contrast between
these adjoining pastures as standing
argument in favor Of sheep husbandry
1t was very much to the point. If it is
true, rs George Geddes asserts, that
sheep in certain proportion TO cattle pay
their way in IA pasture naturally clean,
they must pay much better in pastures
inclined to produce brush and weeds.
We have had occasion to notice the ben
cfical effects Of the grazing Of sheep
upon another farm that has been under
observation several years. They have
not only subdued sweet fern; briars and
thistes, but have greatly improved the
grasses The sod Is much thicker and
heavier, and the white clover has come
in where once it made no show at all
In pastures where the brush is already
strong and higher than the sheep can
reach, il cannot be expected that they
will conquer But if the brush be cut
for a season or two, and the sheep
turned in sufficient numbers upon the
young growth they will keep it under
and eventually destroy it. This is much
cheaper than the use of the scythe and
plow perpetually. - Amertcan Agrtcm
fyTisf