Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-06-19
Pasture Improvement.

The first step in pasture Improvement
10 to decide upon what part of the 50.
called pasture shall be made into real
pasture and what part shall be allowed to
grow up into forest or planted to forest.
We have to consider at this time only the
part which is brought into good pasture
condition. In the great majority of cases
the pasture is more or less grown up to
ornsh of various kinds, huckleberry,
oiueoerry, sweet fern, sheep laurel.
bareback, etc. Kidding the pasture of
this brush should receive attention first.
Moving the brush, whether the sap
has gone up or gone down, whether II ia
the new of the moon or the old of the
| moon, is absolutely unsatisfactory.
Heavy pasturage with sheep will help.
Goats are still more effective. Sheep
farming NAV be made practicable In this
state. Higher prices for mutton and
wool make this practical certainty
The reason why sheep and goats are more
effective agents than cattle in promoting
pasture Improvement Is because they feed
upon a much larger variety of brush and
weeds and seem to prefer-especially
the goats-to feed 10 considerable meas
ure upon these rather than upon grass; {;
of course, the dog question is in some
places serious, but with suitable fences
in most locations, they can be kept out.
The goat will defend itself from the dogs
but it is more difficult animal than the
sheep to confipe.
If, for any reason, the use OF sheep and
goats is not regarded as practicable or
likely to prove profitable, the brush
should be gotten out by the roots. Meth
DDS must diYer with variety of brush
and conditions. Much of the bareback
and sweet fern can be pulled by band,
and q man with sharp grub-hoe can
clear land of weeds and plants quite rap
idly. II the brush is thick, then the
use of harrow and sowing some seed
principally of Kentucky blue grass and
white clover-vill be useful.
ln the case Of pastures which are al
ready cleared, topdressing will effect very
great Improvement in most cases. Pas
lures, where the so-called turf is made
up wholly of fine, weak grasses and green
ish moss, can be wonderfully improved
by topdressing with Stag meal and .
potash salt Such so.called turf, provid-
ed the soil and seasons supply adequate
moisture, can be changed as by miracle
in two years by the application In the
early spring of mixture of 500 pounds
basic Stag meal and 800 pounds lowgrsde
sulphate of potash per acre. This brings
in rich grasses and luxuriant white clover
and the pasture which before topdressing
required or acres to feed COW will
support COW to the acre. For the drier
lands add little nitrate of soda to the
Stag and potash. After the first two
year, annual topdressing with about one
third or one-half the quantities mention
ed will probably be sufficient in the case
of most pastures to maintain satisfactory
conditions.
On account of the European war,
neither Stag meal nor potash can De
bought at prices which the farmer can
afford to pay for pasture improvement.
Wood ashes at the rate OF about 800 or
1000 pounds per acre will have similar
effect, and it is possible that by topdress-
ing with limestone at the rate OF about q
ton to the acre and then applying acid
phosphate annually at the rate of 200 or
800 pounds per acre, considerable i'm
provement may be effected, although 10
most parts of the state it will probably
be found that some potash must be used
to insure wholly satisfactory results.
With the return of normal conditions
after the the war, 1t Is believed that Stag
and potash ss suggested will prove more
satisfactory than anything else.-From
address by VIM. P. Brooks, Director OF
Massachusetts, Experiment Station.