The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-11-10
Use OF BLUEGRASS
Methods for Keeping Grazing
Areas in Condition.
LOCATION FOR SHADE TREES
NO System Of Agriculture Maintains
Fertility OF Soil Better Than
craxinp--Prepare Seeded
for Permanent Sod.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture.)
The shade trees or brush In pasture
should be left only on the high ground
and not, as Is the usual custom, along
the banks OF streams In the lowest
part OF the grazing tracts. The Local
ton OF the shade has direct bearing
on the fertility of the pasture land, 1t
has been found by studies by special
lists OF the United States department
of agriculture, reported In recently
published bulletin, 'The Grazing In
dustry of the Bluegrass Region" This
Is because pastured cattle spend much
Of their time under shade, and con-
siderable portion Of the manure is
dropped at such times. If the shade
is on high ground. the fertility Is
spread by being washed downhill.
When the trees are along streams. how
ever, most Of the fertility contributed
by the manure deposited in the shade
is lost.
Where animals are kept continually
on the pastures, there Is no system of
agriculture, Investigations disclosed,
that maintains the fertility of the soil
better than grazing. Where beef cattle
or sheep are grazed, all of the result
Ing manure Is left on the pastures, and
the land Is further enriched il the
animals are given additional feed dur
ing winter. This Is usually not the
case on dairy farms, where the cattle
spend much of the time in yards or
stables. This return of the manure
directly TO the soil is particularly inn
portant in the grazing regions where
the profits are not sufficiently large to
Justify the liberal use of commercial
fertilizers on pasture land. The eff
feet of manure on bluegrass is shown
by the fact that feeding hay or corn
fodder on the poorest spots of pas
ture is very effective means of inn
proving the stand of grass. AT the
same time the increasing use of silage
and, In some parts, dry-feeding meth
DDS during the winter, may make 1t
accessory for the grazer to take spe-
cial measures for maintaining his pas
ture.
Getting a Sod.
While the ordinary practice is to
clear additions to the pasture fields
and allow the bluegrass to come in
Itself. this is a slow process. This
method takes from three to four years
to get good stand. Where the land
Is level enough to pillow and prepare a
seeded, II is possible to permit much
more grazing the first two or three
years and TO get permanent sod more
quickly by seeding mixture of grass
es. such as orchard grass, red top, red
or alsike clover, tall oatgrass or tim
othy, along with the blue grass. Blue
grass and white clover will eventually
crowd out most of the other grasses,
although orchard grass will persist for
many years. thereby adding to the
early spring and late fall grazing.
The Virginia agricultural expert
ment station has demonstrated that
fairly close grazing will keep blue
grass sod in better condition than light
grazing, as the latter practice allows
the grass and weeds an opportunity to
seed. Cleaning up field at the close
of the grazing period seems to have q
similar effect. The trampling Of the
tieid by stock. unless the land is so
wet that Ii cuts up badly. Is also bene-
tlcial. 1t must be remembered that the
soil of an old turf tends to become too
loose. In one case In England II was
found that rolling the old pasture
fields was the most effective method of
Graduating moss.
field that is neither mown nor
grazed win never form n desirable
turf, but. on the other hand. over
grazing may destroy the plants. There
Is. however, very little overgrazing in
the bluegrass region and there is
greater danger of not keeping sufficient
stock on the pasture. Overgrazed
fields have the appearance of neglected
lawns. Closely clipped bluegrass on
fertile soil makes such n dense turf
that most weeds have difficulty In In
yadlng II. When the grass is allowed
TO go to seed, the turf is weakened
aud more open places occur in II. 1t
Is pointed out also that while there Is
greater bulk Of forage produced
when the grass Is allowed to mature
the young grass has much higher
nutritive value. which offsets the def
cheney in yield. in fattening cattle, the
nutritive value of the bluegrass, espe-
clally the protein content, which may
vary considerably, is highly import
ant factor.
Care of Pastures.
Very little labor Is necessary to
,eep a good pasture in first-class con-
dition. All loose stones and rubbish
that are removed give that much more
space for grass plants to grow. All
brush or trees not needed for shade or
other purposes should be cut or dead
ened by girdling.
In addition to the above suggestions.
all tall-growing weeds should be mown
at least once year, preferably Just
before they form seed. 1t is q com