The Lamar register., 1910-06-15
VALUE OF PASTURES
More Money in Feeding Product
Than in Putting on Market.
Important That Fields Be Located
Near Farm Buildings as Matter Of
Convenience. ~ for No Other
Reason.

The irrigated lands grow alfalfa in
large quantities. This will be fed on
the farms. Much OF 1t is so fed now
but It will be all so fed in the future
that is not distant. When alfalfa is
fed on the farms. more money can be
made from feeding 1t this. than from
putting 1t on the market. When dairy
ing comes to be extensively practised
as II will be. pastures will be wanted
more or less. What will these pas
lures be composed of? That is.a ques-
dairyfng is to prosper. 1t would Of
course be possible to keep cattle by
soiling them. but this method is very
exacting in its demands upon the
time. 1t means that every day
through the summer green food must
be furnished to them unless there is
some pasture on hand. This means
that even where cattle are soiled 1t is
well worth while to have pasture to
turn them on as occasion may re-
quire.
be possible to grow such pastures, but
It should be easily possible to- grow
them in fine form. Land that will
grow four to six tons of alfalfa per
acre per year will also grow an enor-
nous amount of pasture. Which
are the grasses that will be grown
on such a pasture? 1t would seem
easily possible to grow all of the fol-
lowing by sowing approximately the
amounts named: Common red clover.
three pounds; alsike clover, two
pounds: mammoth clover. one pound /;
alfalfa. three pounds: timothy. one
pound; Kentucky blue grass or bronze
as preferred two pounds. and orchard
grass two pounds. The entire mix
ture would make II pounds per acre.
These amounts would not be excessive
in laying down such a pasture. When
making such pasture the ground
should be well prepared. The seed
may then be sown without a nurse
crop and possibly with one. II nurse
crop is used. probably bushel of bar.
ley per acre of the white hulless
variety would be as good as any. but
II should not make much difference
what the nurse crop was. as 1t would
be eaten down. Such a pasture should
bear grazing as soon as there was
enough of growth to make grazing
plentiful.
When grasses are thus grown in ad
mixture on irrigated land, the grazing
should be continuous during the sea
son of growth from spring until fall
This viii result from the fact first
that one grass grows most vigorously
during one part of the year. and an
other grows best at some other sea
son. There is no time, therefore
where SO many plants occupy the
ground. when some of them are no,
pushing on. The combination will
produce much more largely than II
but one plant occupied the ground
The grazing is also in better balance
The grasses that grow along with the
clovers eliminate the element Of dan
ger from bloating that might other
wise be present
When such pastures are established
1t is greatly important that they are
located near the farm buildings, as q
matter Of convenience. II for no other
reason. The value of such pastures
for one reason is not easily estimated
but It is very large. II cattle are gra
zing on II that are grown into meat
or that produce milk II Is at leas,
questionable II more money can be
made from the land in other ways
when the item of labor Is taken into
the amount No one who has live
stock on an irrigated farm in the wesi
should hesitate about laying 1t dowr
to permanent pasture.