The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-25
PASTURE MUST
HAVE CARE OF
Other CROPS
Attention Required by II
Is Essential to Sue
cess of Farm
BY f. T. FRISBlE
Vocation Agriculture Instructor

need for more and better pas
tures. Pasture within itself is the
natural feed for most forms Of
livestock; where plenty of good
pasture is available no grains or
hay feeds are necessary except IN
the case Of animals hard at work
or producing large quantities OF
milk when supplements to pastures
are needed.
The majority of our pasture
land is very poor, being mostly
waste land, or land that is too
poor to cultivate. These poor
fields are allowed to grow in ma
tive grasses, are fenced and used
for pasture. Pastures of this kind
cannot support the maximum
amounts of livestock as these
tough grasses lack food value and
are not readily eaten as many OF
the cultivated grasses.
Frequently six to eight acres
are required to support cow. In
the case of woodland pasture
many more acres are needed.
When pastures require so many
acres for the support of one AMI
NAL we are certain to have high
feed cost on our animals and a
low return from our work.
The pasturing of woodland
should be abandoned. Cattle graz
ing in the woods eat and kill most
of the young shoots that are COM
ing in to make future trees. Con
tinual tramping of the woodlands
by cattle breaks the layer of lit
ter giving the water a chance to
flow to the sail faster than it can
be absorbed and washing begins
to take place. BY improving the
carrying capacity of our pasture
lands which have been cleared
and by utilizing idle acres we can
have more than enough pasture TO
provide for our livestock without
pasturing our woodland.
Pastures, like any other crop,
will produce according to the care
and attention given to it. Land IN
pasture does not wear out IN sew
eral wears. This fact is proved
when we study pastures in all OF
the European countries. Ihelf
pastures produce several times as
much feed per acre as DO ours
We do not give ours much atten-
ton while as much attention Is
given to pastures as any other
crop in the older countries. .
Seeding of pastures to some OF
our cultivated pasture grasses IS
vprv beneficial. Orchard grass,
Kentucky blue grass, red top, or
bnrd GRASS, or common lespedeza,
and white Dutch clover are our
hest pasture grasses. They may
be sowed at a number of different
rates per acre, using altogether
about 20 to 80 pounds of seed
Usually two pounds of White
Dutch clover is enough per acre
Red top may be seeded at the
rate of one-half as much as LOT
orchard grass. The other SEED
NAV he sown in equal proportions
for the amount of seed winch IS
70 he sowed. The amount OF each
orass to SOW per acre is not near
" as important as the preparation
Of the soil for seedlings. Far pet
Tor results can be secured by pro-
perly preparing the soil for SEED
mo than can be- made by ADDING
more seed. The ground should De
niowed several weeks before seed
mo time so it will have time to
settle. Grass seed are very small
and require fine, firm seed bed
A thorough discing and dressing
| should be given in order to pull
verize the soils we'll before seed
ing. Sowing of grass may take
place in September. Grass seeaS
! may we'll be seeded with some OF
the small grain crops. These crops
act as a nurse crop to the grass
and will help pay for the sowing
A fertilizing program is neces-
sarv for a pasture just the same
as for any other crop. we ma
nnre and fertilize our crop iano
each wear, but we harvest from
orr PASTURES year after year with
ont the thought of feeding them;
49," GOOD Hastures have ceased
70 Weld: bare scalded spots come
in the sod and continue to grow
larger. These places have come
because the soil lacks the fertility
to produce a good sod.
" The hare eroded areas may be
controlled by the addition OF OF
Sonic matter to the soil. Phos-
5bates will give our weakened pas
tnres new life and vigor. Acid
phosphate will give larger returns
per dollar investment than any
/ complete fertilizer for the pres
emit condition of the pastures in
this county. We should expect
good returns from the use of lime
in connection with phosphates as
most of our soils are acid. The
addition of lime on pastures is a
definite benefit to them.
This year when the government
is willing to pay the farmers for
4 the application of acid phosphate
and lime to the pasture every
farmer should take advantage of
the offer and apply some phos-
phate and lime on their pastures.
Fertilization of pastures with
lime and phosphate will increase
! the percentage of legumes in the
stands. This is very important as
the legumes will furnish nitrogen