The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-05-29
Ono Way to Improve the Pastures.

Secretary Sessions OF the Massach usetts
Board OF Agriculture, few weeks since
delivered al interesting lecture at farm
ers' meeting in Boston, on "Dairying IN
Massachusetts A full report was print
ed in the Ploug IRON which we make
some extracts. reiatipg to the method pur.
sued in the improvement Of the pastures,
1t would appear that MIR. Sessions belongs
to family OF farmers. aud the information
given is the result Of practical txper.
fences.
In speaking upon this part of his sub
ject Mr.. Sessions says
Now have 10 my practice stocked my
pastures very heavily to start with. In
order to get the best quality Of pasture
grass, the grass must be young. There is
OF course danger Of everstockiug and fail
lag to provide something else. But not il
the pastures are supplemented by othe,
food. Most pastures will have some place.
that are not sweet, that are springy and
swaley. II they are not heavily stocked
early in the season these spots will not be
fed. ~
wanted to increase the number Of ouI
herd, and where we kept ten cows l want
ed to keep twenty. l turned out double
number on all our pastures and l found
the pastures did not deteriorate, but i'm
proved. And though this was begun per.
haps more than twenty years ago We never
put anything on but what the cows left or
the pastures. OF course the bushes had
to be kept down, but no fetilizers were
applied except what the cows dropped
there. and the pastures constantly improv'
ed. They are growing better now.
To supplement the pastures and furnish
sufficient food for the COWS, various soiline
crops were raised. commencing with win
ter rye which is in condition to feed quite
early in the season. This is followed by
spring rye, barley and oats, sown at differ
ent times to keep mp succession Of green
feed until corn the evergreen sweets
large enough to commence upon. Like
oats and peas sown together, half and
half, better than the oats alone. The cows
are kept in the barn nights through the
summer where they are fed with the fod-
der.
They are liven small feed OF grain in
the morning, but not sufficient to prevent
them from filling themselves with grass
on being turned out. He does not like
the plan OF feeding forage crops in the
morning or 10 the fields. whore it will be
more or less soIled or wasted. This be
ing fed at night the cows will come readily
TO the barn when wanted. Oae reason fol
the improvement OF the pastures is attfi
buted TO the feeding Of cottopseed meal
and other heterogeneous foods, that are
particularly rich 10 fertiliziug proper
ties.
By pursuing inch plan although the
pa tures only have the benefit OF the ma
nure left upon them during the day. they
continue to improve. As twice the num-
br OF cows are kept In the pasture as
wluld usually be the case. OF course 1t is
equal to keeping one hall the number there
al OF the time, with the addition OF the
benefit received from the concentrated
feed given TO them.
There may be farmers 50 situated with
pastures where the ieed--more or less wild
grasses starts early and anless fed down
close will soon get where the cows will not
eat it at all
Putting In more stock so as 10 keep this
growth down aud get some income from il
may be al object, resulting 10 benefit to
the pastures aud the farmers pocket, /
~ htly conducted But there mnsi be am
pie provisions made for feed 10 supple
ment the gra.s sud keep the cows 10 good
con iitioo for yielding payin9 rriurn at
the psi II full compensation can be
male tere. the improvement OF the
past ures which Is sought Tor. will be 80
much gain, aud ths 10 worth lolking
sfier.