The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-24
Home Course
In Live Stock
Farming
W.-Pastures and Forage
Crops.
By c. v. GREGORY.
Copyright. 1909. by American Pres,
Association
Author OF Home Course In Modern
Agriculture" Making Money on
h Farm Etc.

HE cheapest gains on farm ami
mails are made with green
feed. Plans should be made
to have 9 plentiful supply on
hand at all times. There will be the
clover meadows, Of course, which will
be used principally for hay. Occasion
ally there will be a luxuriant growth
OF fall feed on them which can be
used for pasture to advantage. This
second growth clover is especially val
liable for milk cows, calves and hogs.
Permanent Pastures.
Pastures should be rotated where
possible. Where a four year rotation
rs practiced %one-fourth of the cultivat-
ed lan& will be in grass each year.
This will generally be more than is
needed for hay, in which case part of
It can be used for pasture. In addi-
lion to this. there is usually some land
'on every farm that is too wet or too
rough to be used for anything but per-
manent pasture. In too many cases
these permanent pastures are weedy
and unproductive. A flock of sheep or
goats will do much to get rid of the
weeds. Ii there are any thistles they
should be cut while in bloom and a
handful of salt put on the roots.
Where an area of land has been very
'everely o%vergrazed in the past it will
pc absolutely necessary that 1t be very
:arefully pastured for the FIRST two or
three years. The native grasses and
Forage plants must have a chance to
regain their former vigor and to go to
Feed. A very large number of stock
nen advocate resting the land-that is.
keeping all stock off for a period Of
three or four years. That this remedy
will bring about the desired results
has been definitely proved in
BUS instances.
To increase the productivity it will
pc necessary to thicken the stand and
loosen the soil. The yield of pastures
an often be doubled by running a
fisk oyer them in the spring. This is
specially true if a few pounds of
trass seed to the acre are used at the,
lame time. There is nothing better
han alsike~ clover for the wet Spots
fedtop is also good in such places. al
(hough it is not liked we'll enough by
he stock to warrant it's use where
letter grasses will grow.
Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridumy
"a perennial clover whose appearance
Iuggests a hybrid between red and
white clovers. but it is not a hybrid.
L will thrive on soil too wet for red
Hover, but on ordinary soil is proba-
Fly not to be so highly recommended.
It should be sown with grasses to give
the best results.
The standard pasture grass through.
Iut the corn belt is blue grass. For
larly spring and late fall pasturage
lothing can equal it. 1t Is nutritious,
he stock like 1t we'll. it is not easily
blurred by tramping. and it is a good
Iielder. The chief objection to it is
hat it practically ceases growth dur
hg the hot. dry days of midsummer.
1t this time it is necessary to supple
bent the blue grass pasture with some
bragg crop or have a fresh pasture
turn the stock into. Many stock
ben have several different pastures.
fhey stock one heavily, so that it will
e eaten down close in three or four
I,onl,c thD, ol,o,,rO kl,@| 1-;o.1I. Aoo
tesh n while the grass in the first
let's another start. In this way great
K value a be got out Of a certain
mount Of pasture land. 1t is a good
Ian to allow part of the blue grass
Ind to make a growth of six or eight
hches Eefore winter. This makes ex-
ellent winter pasture for both cattle
nd horses. aud they will thrive and
ktten On it. Horses will paw through
everal inches of n o to get to it.
|lthough blue grass will thrive fairly
tell in dry and unsheltered locations,
will do better where shaded mod
lately. Pasture land partly covered
18th brush and short timber is a IA
krite place to c a good stand.
IOrchard grass Is next to blue grass
importance as a pasture crop. 1t is
Erdly as nutritious nor is 1t liked as
Eal by stock, but 1t makes a more
bid growth and continues to grow
kroughout the summer months. When
fwn in a mixture Of other grasses,
Il. usually is, the stock are liable to
{ the more palatable grasses first,
aving the orchard grass to grow up.
ID become hard and woody. Where
b plan of changing pastures is prac-
I'D there is little trouble from this
urce, as all the grass Il eaten down
kickly.
4 good mixture to SOW on old pas
he before disking is eight pounds Of
e grass. two pounds of orchard
ASS and two or three pounds of some
nd of clover. Red clover Is good. but
es not last long. In most regions
here blue grass 1ourishes white clio