The Glenwood post., 1921-05-07
SUE j0lNs PASTURE
kooND|TDlnNec COWS

forage poaoonn0, out the AA1nS @ve-
tigato<u arc doubtful II that u tie
esnss. Isvsstieations have hseA limit
ed largely because by tho tiAs to
"vsts" arrived the dsstao had esassd.
In one case ii WAS plain enough starr.
alton, in others acute indigestion, sous-
timed bioat. At times some wheat win
pull by the roots, and though there 10
nothing poisonous about the reoe, - In
tho ease Of wild parsnipa, the adhsriAs
dirt readily furnishes cause for troubis.
Horses long fed on picket lines event
usny succumb to dirt taken into tho
stomach, though for years redstant.
Immense numbers Of cattle are psstursd
ON wheat, and when they are accustom-
ed to it and there are enough usually
thrifty, it IL not likely that the wheat
develops poisonous qualities.
Ensilage is godsend when it comes to
changing to grass, for stock are pre-
pared by semi-succulent feed for that
whish 10 still immature and washy.
The are not so ravenous for something
eseulent and there is not the sudden
transition from dry hard feed to one
that is laxative. Cattle that get hay,
yet roam every day in the year, get
some green stuff early, and gradually
they pass, in the absence of poison
weeds, from one kind of feed to anoth-
err. Where cattle have to be turned out
entirely the matter is not 30 simple.
Spring storms have caused many Of the
most disastrous losses of late years, es-
pecially where ranges were bare from
the year before and winter returned to
stay a month. Fortunately this last
snow passed quickly, though extremely
severe while it lasted. Range grasses
from the year before do not produce
dry marian like old slough and bottom
grass, SO the greater bulk for the
spring grass to spring through the bet
ter, and cattle will make the change Of
feed insensibIy.
If the pasture is completely bare cat
tie will get no sound feed, travel inter-
minably for what they do gather, mean
while parching the soil and spelling q
lot of grass roots, so that much Of the
ground is barred. The heavier the soil
the greater the damage in wet weather.
Nothing but good sodding can protect
the soil and the grasses themselves. If
We would have good pasture it takes
constant care to see that it is not work
ed to death beyond the chance Of res
toration, except by keeping stock off it
for long time.
This year the frost came out before
the wet weather, so that the worst con
dition for running pasture was largely
avoided, that is, sudden break up Of
frost that softens the soil from beneath
and wet to swamp the top.
IF one has mixed range, cattle will
he mostly in the sand hills chasing the
earliest grasses where they do less dam
age early in the season, but where all
the soil is heavy one must keep them
off or suffer considerable loss of grass.
Many farmers are dispensing with
pasture and depending on the silo or
soiling, either of which methods will
provide more feed from the same acre
age. There is also the intermediate
plan that has perhaps the most advnn-
tages, providing something less than
half the pasturage necessary If it were
10 be the entire dependence. IF this
is used in connection with soiling crops
the flush Of grass will carry the cattle
until these are better matured than
where there is no pasture, and then dur
ing the drouthy season the deep-rooted
oats, peas and other cultivated crops
come into play. If with the silo the
feed is uniform and only has to be han
died when put mp, not cut and carried
daily or every other day, which is a
cons 1erable chore, often interfering
with other work and interrupted more
or less by weather. 1t takes, however,
a lot of silo room to be provided the
the winter and the corn silage later,
and silos just now are very costly. I
If convenient, beet pulp, siage and
some soiling with half pasture or some
part of these feeds provide many ad
vantages. The investment in pasture
land is much reduced, yet the cattle
have exercise in pleasant places, the
manure, solid and liquid, all goes to the
soil without work, and when the pas
ture is broken up it is fit for any crop.
If the pasture is permanent aud irri-
gated the sod comes to be so heavy and
resistant that it will carry stock at al
most any time without damage. On
the arabic farm the advantages of
well-grassed big corral, either for crop