The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-06-21
LCRICULTURt

NEGLECT or PAsTUREs.-This Is the
only country in the world, the Chicago
Times says, where any %pretensiOns are
made to good farming, that no atten.
ton Is given 70 improving pastures. In
taking up a new farm, the poorest por.
ton Is Invariably set apart for the pas
ture. After the best portions are
planted aud sown TO annual crops as
long as they will pay the cost Of Guilt
walton, the land is seeded down 70
grass. This Is cut and cured for hay
until the farmer Is ashamed Of the
small amount he gets from an acre,
when he concludes that he will convert
the field into a pasture. He seldom
seems 70 think that his pasture Is his
great source of wealth; that his cows
get from IL the materials which furnish
milk; that the grass. IL produces makes
most of the wool, beef and mutton he
has 10 sell, and that all the young cattle
obtain their living from the pasture
about seven months la every year. He
seems to forget that he and his teams
work all summer chiefly TO obtain food
which the stock during the
winter, while his pastures furnish a sup
ply for a longer period without any
labor being expended upon them.
Land nee turned out to pasture Is
doomed to neglect so long as 1t is de-
voted TO that purpose. Weeds and
bushes are permitted to spring up aud
spread at will. As the grass In places
becomes killed out the spots are allowed
10 remain barren, A large proportion
of the stock kept in the pasture are
yarded at night. and most Of their drop
pings are left, when they are taken TO
cultivate fields. Even those that fall
on the pastures are not broken up and
scattered as they should be. The rank
grasses which spring up, but which are
not eaten by the stock, are allowed to 90
to seed, and in this way gradually ex-
tend over a large portion of the ground.
No Western farmer thinks to apply
tarm-yard, mineral or commercial fer
tilizers to his pastures. If a portion of
it happens to become rich by the cattle,
sheep oil colts remaining on 1t during
the night, the chances are that he will
plow 1t up and put it in cultivated crops,
and turn out another piece of land that
is In too poor condition TO produce corn,
grain or hay.
In England pastures receive constant
attention, and increase in productive
ness year by year. They are generally
in so high a state of fertility that a good
crop Of hay may be harvested from them
If the stock is taken off, as is done occa-
sionally. They are MANFRED like lands
which produce annual crops, the fertili-
GERS being applied late In the fall or
very early in the spring, They are
ordinarily mown at least once every
season so as to keep down the weeds
and coarse grasses. By cutting them
off, short or asses spring up, while the
weeds and rank grasses that are cut
down help to enrich the soil. The turf
once well established may not he turned
during a century but it is occasionally
scariied by a utensil made especially
for the purpose, so as to lay bare some
fresh soil, on which the seed of more
valuable grasses may be sown. A great
variety of grasses is produced on Eng
fish pastures, and attention is given to
seeding peculiar soils and locations
with grasses that are adapted to them.
In this country little or no attention is
given to this matter, but the grasses are
left to establish themselves as best they
will. In some localities white clover,
redtop and blue grass, all good pasture
grasses, will, by a process Of self seed
ing or extension of their roots, estab-
lish themselves over a considerable
amount of ground. UIder unfavorable
circumstances however, sorrel, burdock,
thistles and coarse grasses will take pos
session of the land.