Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-06-02
Permanent Pastures.


which we find 10 the Ohio Farmer
II is the general belief in Great Britain.
so lar as can learn, that permanent pas.
ture, when properly managed, yields a bet.
ter quality Of grass or hay than one newly
seeded, and that the quality does not dmin.
ish with the age Of the pasture. They often
seed new piece without any crop, like oats
or wheat. Sometimes the mixture of lisbt
seed is sown, and then the mixture of heavy
seeds sown by itself on the same ground to
spread all evenly. If the ground is we'll
prepared, newly seeded field will need no
manure for two or three years. Most Brit
ish pastures will grow poor and thin. and run
out, as we say, unless they are manured and
otherwise properly attended to. If we con.
tinually take off and plunder a field, what
other result can be expected7 Manure
often goesUpon the arabic land with US.
j. Dixon Of Cheshire England in n prize
essay for 1858, says: after 20 years of
experience have no hesitation 10 pronounc.
ing bones to be pre-emiuent above all other
manurcs for the improvement Of grass lands
when permancncy as well as cost are con.
sidered." He is decidedly in favor of raw
bones, ground and applied in early spring.
lie cites one case treated with broken bones
~ years previous, where the effect was still
very marked. 10 ono case about 900 lbs
OF bone to the acre in two years caused the
rent OF an acre to 20 from 30 shillnRs up to
6O shillings, with greater profit To the ten.
ant. He gives other case s-among them n
farm OF l6O acres on which the farmer OK.
pended $500 sterling worth of bones in
year. The stock formerly kept consisted of
20 COWS, and three or four horses aud colts.
After treating with bones the fields pastured
AZ cows, IL head of young stock, five horses,
and three colts, and one fourth of the farm
in tillage. Similar results were produced on
almost every farm in the neighborhood.
Professor Voeleker Royal Journal of Ag.
riculture, 1868, p. 643) says: "Fhe effects
produced by the application of bone dust
to pastures are very variable. On the por
Gus land OF Cheshire and similar soils on the
red.sandstone formation the result is very
striking. On land which is wet and cold,
and rests on 4 poor, undrained subsoil, bones
often produce no effect" lie recommends.
in all cases, trial on a small scale.
Experiments, to be Of much value, must be
kept up for long time. As Prof. Voclcker
says, "Field experiments in order to be prac-
tcally useful, should always be tried for q
succession Of years under great variety Of
conditions as regards soil, time and mode Of
application, and crops, as possible" This
should be continued from year. to year ac.
cording to the same plan as fixed upon in
the previous year. Some Of the best expert.
ments made, at great expense, in England,
were tried for 20 successive years before ar.
irving at satisfactory conclusions.
Cold pastures in England often get
dressing of 100 lbs. Of nitrate of soda, or 300 |
lbs OF guano, 200 lbs. Of superphosphate |
sown broadcast on each acre. Such dress. |
ings, with barn-yard manure, are often ap-
piled until the land produces WE'LL
10 prize essay by Clement Cadle he
claims much experience in the manuring of
grass lands, most difficult subject. He
has seen bones do no good whatever, and
he has seen them used with immense advan-
tage. lie has seen guano used and produce
a splendid crop the same year, and next |
year the crop was worse than before the |
guano was applied. 1t seems impossible to
tell with certainty just which fertilizer will |
do the best on any soil till they have been
tried Mr.. Cables rule is this "in pro.
portion as the land is inclined to grow benty
or stocky grass, inciniDg TO seed, he applies
ammoniacal manures. If the land produces
quickly, soft, leafy herbage, the phosphate
manures must be applied" After 30 years
he concluded that in England money judi.
ciously used in improving grass lands pays
more certain return than where expended in
the growth of wheat.
). ii. Thomson, prominent farmer Of
York, also concludes that money used 10 i'm.
proving grass land gives better return than
on arabic land. He says that "frmness and
quality cannot be secured with large bulk.
For quantity Of hay or pasture. use gnano,
nitrate Of soda, SCOT, or other ammouacal ma.
nure for quality use lime or bones for
medium quantity aHd quality, use both
classes of fertilizers" Coarsely pulverized
bones and barn.yard manure produce lasting
results, often very marked for 20 years.
Good barn-yard manure is the standard, and
never fails to improve grass lands. In tho
report Of 1875, Mr.. Lawes, the most cele.
brated English experimenter, says: "The
application OF bones to grass lands is not re-
commended for general adoption. They
appear to be chiefly adapted to the exhausted
pastures of certain localities. The same is
true with lime. Every man must expert.
ment." He adds 81 am disposed to think
that dressing Of dung once in FIVE years
200 lbs. Of nitrate Of soda the other four
years, is about as good an application as can
be used" should recommend a mixture Of
fertilizers found to be good or rotation Of
their use.
The English we'll know the great impor.
lance Of excellent pasture to tatten cattle
They feed such cattle, while grazing, oil-cake,
neal, ETC., for two-iold object, namely, to
help iatteu the cattle, aud to help enrich
he soil, and so make the pasture better.
This is sound doctrine, which we all under
stand. There are certain we'll known truths
IN regard to manure that are almost axioms
rs, The more abundant the food supplied TO
beasts, the better the quality aud the larger
he quantity Of manure produced !" "Beasts
led on good nutritious food, give a much
more valuable manure than those fed upon
Indifferent kinds of food !" "The manure of
young animals is less valuable than that
rom mature animals, as the young require
both organic and inorganic food in larger
quantities than fullgrown beasts, which have
,nly to keep up their weight and condition
by the food they eat !" and that the best
animal manur0s for general purposes consist
of both solid and liquid eXcrements combined.
COloring Cheese.