Peninsular news and advertiser. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1872-1904, 1876-05-26
Permanent Pastures.

A correspondent of the Country Gentle
man writes as follows:
Real old grass land, as it is seen in En-
gland, and as it exists in Kentucky and
in some other States, has never been
sown by man, nature having done the
work with such varieties as suit
the soil and climate. The grass which
appears on newly-cleared land or on
open prairies, instead of being injured
by being grazed, is vastly improved by
the grazing and the tramping, and sheep
more than other stock assist in produce
ing thick-set, sweet heritage. Some
farmers in the Northern States have no
idea of what value good, old established
grass is, and cannot understand that
there are other varieties which, for lying
continually undisturbed, are superior to
timothy and red clover. There are very
great advantages attached to pastures of
native grasses. Stock can run on it in
the winter without any injury beyond
later start in the spring, and where
sheep, and colts too can run over pasture
in open weather, little grass. though
wet and cold, does good and gives heal
thler tone to the system; and this is no
theory, as have experienced with colts,
calves and sheep in several instances
and hundreds of miles apart.
hS PAASND VI DlOuuCt dIt
good enough to pay well for growing.
and farmers would all be making money
fast only the land has run down till less
than half crops are grown; and as the
cultivation costs as much as when full
crops We're obtained, it is plain to be seen
| now 1t is farmers complain so much.
| Some who own gO0d-SiZed farms cult
vate little of the land, and the rest
lies idle, but after it has rested few
years, the native grasses begin to show
among the weeds, and some stock occa-
sionally grazes there; the owner plows it
again, and brings it back into the state
OF poverty In which it was previous to
the former rest. Doubtless many of
these fields, which are again plowed and
subjected to the blowing and narrowing
out Of the little fertility accumulated
during the rest from persecution, would
have soon began to pay little as Il pas
ture. which would he much better than
tearing up what nature had commenced
to do; for as soon as there grew some
thing to he eaten, tue cattle would repay
the land with the droppngs and urine,
which is more than the owner would do
when lie harvested corn or grain.
Where the soil is favorable for grass,
the pasture will improve year by year,
especially if sheep lie on it as well as
cattle-and if the sheep are not driven
home every night, to leave half of their
manure in the yard or shed, thus robbing
the pasture. This housing OF yarding
sheep at night will ruin any pasture, for
1t is about the same as turning oxen in
pasture at night and working them by
day, thus losing to the grass all that is
voided away. When field is pastured
by a variety of stock which does not rob
1t vi any of the manure, if it is suitable
for grass, the fertility will increase till
1t will become remunerating; and if every
farm had some fields of genuine pcrma-
nent grass, the other portion of the farm
might be better attended to. But where
is the man in America who would not
be coveting the nice crop of corn he
could get by turning the sod under?
Where is the man who would not sacri-
flee the sod for present gainy