Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-30
Turning to Hn.tnre. Boiling. &c.

Turning to Pasture, sOiling, sc.
That the change from dry to green food
should be gradual, is the almost universal
testimony of those who have experience in
keeping stock In the application of this
rule, many dairymen urge that cows should
be allowed to roam over pasture and grass
lands from the first moment the snow is off
the ground, and before vegetation has started.
In other words, they would allow stock the
run of the fields at all times during spring.
They urge that the old tufts of grass left
from last years growth are not wholly want
ing in nutrition, and that cattle picking at
this get it out of the way, which is an adyan-
tage to the new crop. And again. by allow
ing stock to crop grass rs soon as il springs
up, and before n full bite can be had health
is promoted while considerable saving is
made in the quantity of fodder required for
spring feeding. Many darymou practice this
plan, aud advise others To follow il Us alto
gether the most economical, both ~ to Keep
and health Of stock But the plan is not 10
economical AS one might mt first suppose.
When cows are allowed to roam over pastures
in early spring. Just rs the frost Us having
the ground, and while it is in II soft and un-
settled state, the land is ponchcd and cut up
by the tread of cattle, and in consequence
grasses are killed out or very much injured
in many places. And the injury is not Who'll
ly confined to the trend of cattle, for in their
eagerness to obtain green food, after long
confinement of dry fodder, they gnaw down
into the ground and pull out the grass hy the
roots, thus often doing great damage to the
productveness Of the pasture Grass lands
treated in this way soon deteriorate weeds
spring up where the sod has been destroyed
and thus the practice becomes a fruitful
source of pastures running out and requiring
to be frequently plowed and reseeded, or else
yielding but half n crop.
Another course largely in practice, is to
keep stock from pastures until the grass has
attained large growth but the objection to
this course is, that when cows are turned into
such pastures they often overfeed. thus de-
ranging health and causing serious troubles
while in addition, pastures thus treat, d do
not afford the largest amount of sweet feed.
middle course gives better results. After
the ground is well settled and grass gets a
fair start, cows should at first be turned to
pasture for a few hours each day, or until
they get accustomed gradually to the change
of feed, when they may be turned wholly to
pasture. Pastures yield the best results when
they are cropped over evenly, and kept down
so the animals can get good bite of sweet
and nutritious grass; but if it is allowed to
get too large growth before cropping. the
feed in many places becomes old, rank and
tough, and is rejected by stock and cannot be
made available. When pastures are in this
state, 1t Is better to NOW of these tufts and
patches of mature. woody growth and allow
fresh crop to spring up in its place.
Provision should be made for growing
corn fodder for soiling to meet the eXigencies
of drouth or depreciation Of pastures in mid
summer. There has not been a time for the
last 20 years when a provision for soiling
crops has been more needed than now. In
other years short crop of pasturage could
be met by feeding bran and shipstuiis, and
the receipts from the dairy would perhaps
warrant the outlay, but this year. with low
prices staring us in the face, the cost of such
feed will make great inroad on the slender
profits of the dairyman. No good dairyman
ought to take the risks of scanty pasturage
and probably there is nothing SO easily grown
and so cheaply provided as sowed corn to
meet the lack of pastuage. There can be no
loss in any event, for if the season is such
that pasturage is abundant, the sowed corn
can be used with the best results in early
winter, and will be so much saved to the Lay
crop. Cows do remarkably well on properly
sowed corn fodder, and it yields an abundant
supply of milk of good quality
With the present outlook of the dairy in
dustry, it seems incumbent upon dairymen to
grow all the grain and forage needed for
stock. They can hardly afford to purchase
have done in former years, because the low
prices likely to obtain for dairy produce will
not warrant it. The practice of purchasing
large quantities of grain for the dairy, as was
common to many in former years, has always
been of questionable economy. But under
the present state of things, it seems plain
that dairymen must grow their own grain and
live more within their own resources. Most
of the old dairy farms of New York land
New England as welD would be benefited by
blowing and reseeding. The pastures are of
ten foul with weeds, and afford less feed than
they would if plowed and resecded Many
meadows are badly run out, which, if broken
up and put to corn, would yield as much fod-
der, III addition to the grain, as is now oh
tanned from the crop of hay.
A crop of fodder corn may be put in as late
as the 10th of June, and large crops may be
grown on the inverted sod of rich old pasture
or meadow lands. 1t will be well if dairymcn
give attention to this matter in season, so that
the yield Of milk may be kept up; for low
prices and small milk yield cuts the dairy
income at both ends.-X. 4. Willard, in
Country gentleman.