Evening star., 1947-10-19
Grass Farmers
System Uses
Hay Kicks
By jones BirchfieId

Arnold G. Ingham, dairy farmer
Of Wellville, Va, writes me about
his system of grass farming. About
Is years agd Mr.. Ingham threw
away his plow and turned his entire
farm into pastures and meadows.
One of the most interesting phases
of his operation is system OF pas
ture barometers' that let's him know
when it is time to start feeding from
his hay ricks.
Before he discarded his pillow and
started grass farming, Mr.. Ingham
said, ne used to spend long hours
growing crops to put in the barn to
feed to his cattle. At the same time,
he said, the cattle were working
hard in the pastures to get some
thing to eat, or were standing by the
barn waiting to be fed.
zone of the finest things about
grass farming" he said. lis that
we gradually let the cows eliminate
most of our work, as well as the
feedman, and we finally were able
to get out of the clutches Of the
Federal Land Bank and to put the
difference into Government bonds.
Mr.. Ingham's pasture barom-
eters' are nothing more than hay
ricks placed on the poor, dry spots
In his pastures. These are made dur
ing the spring when there is an
abundance of grass. He builds them
up, first with layers Of poor quality
hay, then three or four feet of La
dino or other first-class hay, and
tops the ricks off with trash hay.
Little Grain Is Needed.
When the cows start working on
the ricks, usually about February
Mr.. Ingham knows that the pasture
is finished for the year. He then
starts feeding other hay and possibly
some grain. He winters his herds
in this way. he says, finding that
very little grain is necessary. In ad-
dition, the COWS put manure where
it Is needed.
How long does it take to make a
good pasture? Mr.. Ingham says
about 200 years is time enough for
a start. However. he adds, he hasn't
done too badly in Is years. Pasture
building is cumulative.
you've got to build up the fer
tility of the land first. and then
manage the pastures so the fertility
will Keep building" he said. "A
pasture should be thick and heavy
and the ground should have a
spring to it when you walk across
1t. You shouldn't overgraze. The
secret of growing bluegrass all sum-
mer is not to overgraze it.y
One of Mr.. Inghams pastures,
now 10 years old, has had total of
six tons of ground limestone per
acre and four tons of fertilizer
high in PHOSPHORUS and potash.
The grass on this pasture usually
lasts until February when the cows
begin helping themselves from the
ricks.
I'VE like the idea Mr.. Ingham
said, "of letting the cows do the
work we used to do"
Farms Without Electricity.
Despite our American high stand
ard of living, the Rural Electrical
ton Administration tells us that
more than 2,250,00 American farms
we're without electric current as of
last June 30.
Although rural electriflcation is
progressing rapidly, REA officials
said, there still is much to be done.
Virginia, for example, still has 1880,
or 461 per cent of her farms without
central station electric service, while
Maryland has 1882, or 21.5 per cent
of farms remaining without service.
The terrific demand now for farm
electricity, REA officials said, indi-
Gates that farmers are finding out
that electric power helps them make
q living more pleasantly and more
prof1tably.