The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-10-10
Hurdle Feeding.

we are asked Dy correspondent III
hurdle feeding is practical in Iowa in
sheep husbandry. In answer We
would say that it is practical anywhere,
where the hurdles can be had, but in
most portions of the West, under our
present system of agr culture, il is not
necessary. Hurdle feeding is in SOM
respects like soiling in its effects. 1t
gives the grass of the portions OF the
field rom which the hurdles are re
moved 4 chance to grow undisturbed.
No doubt it is economical as compared
to pasturing whole field at u time.
In those sections where land is not so
of the West it IS good thing. But
in the West we shall never get down TO
su h economy as hurdle feeding en-
bodies until our farms are smaller III
81 c, and it is more Trouble Tor us to
get along than it now is. The system
does away with the necessity of q very
large amount of fenc no, and that i'll
itself would be very desirable accom-
pl.shment. But there must be thorough
reform before fences can be dispensed
with. u lille a part of the community
would rs soon thai their stock
would run in the highways
as to have them decently taken care OF,
everybody else must be to the serious
expense of fen ing aga INST such S ock
Hence. we must have fences; and. con-
Sc ucntly, one of the great reasons for
adopting the hurdle system is inopera
tive If we were all ia ming closely.
that is, if We were striving to ma e
every acre Under our control produce
the most that it possibly could produce;
if we were determined to have nothing
about the farm that was not utiii ed, a
hundred rods of hurdle fencing would
prove TO be very valuable addition 10
the farm. With such a fence it would
maze no diiierence where or what a
piece OF pasture was, it could be util-
lied if we wished 10 utilize It. a piec..
of stubble or a.lergrowth could be very
readily inclosed, AMI hurdles could be
removed, until rs one advocat. of the
system puts it, every pa t of the field
has been pastured, ana the grass turned
peciaily convenient with sheep. The.
are not diiEcuit to conune. and they
may be con ned until not only the
grass of a certain spot is eaten. but
also until they have led close enough
to destroy ali the weeds.
As TO the form of hurdle fence any
thin will answer that an be set up.
and will coniine the sheep after ii is set
up. Many men could devise I fence
without much cost that would answer
the purpose. There are hurdles that
are placed upon rollers and are rolled
from place to place. as the sheep need
a chan e of pasture. Of course tbs is
the most convenient, and ii is said that
Their additional lost is not very great.
Tut of this we do not know of our OWN
KNOWLEDGE. Alderman Mechi, of on
don. made use OF an iron hurdle placed
upon wheels. This was very durable.
A hurdle made of iron was in use upon
Mr.. MecEi's farm for thirty years or
more. ut it cost six do lars and Thirty
cents per rod, and that would rule it
out in this country. We can conceive
no rcumstances, however, at present,
under which we should think that
hurdle feeding was necessary in Iowa.
Bui we viii say, while speaking upon
thi sub ,ect. thar il is method we |
worthy OF adoption upon roor ard worn
out fnlms. If the Rurd' has among its
Eastern readers any who are on such
farms. We invite the attention to the
value OF small fiocks of sheep upon
such farms. and would recon- end the