V- 



J^ O T ^ ii^l » '^ *• ^ 



CiRct i.AK Xi>. 4.— (Revised.) 



United States Department of A.^ 



DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY. 



[Cirass and Forage Plant Investigations.] 



THE RENEWIXi OF AVORN-OLT NATIVE PRAIRIE PASTURES. 



Throtighoiit the prairie regions of the West one frequently sees native i^astures 

 nearly devoid of grass and often grown np to weeds of various kinds. Plainly 

 such pastures are of little value to the owners, so far as the forage obtained from 

 them is concerned, and the weeds are a constant eyesore, often rendenng the 

 land even worse than worthless. 



Such a condition of things is usually due 

 to two causes, drought and overstocking. 

 While the farmer may have no control 

 over the drought itself, he can, by a little 

 care and foresight, put the pasture in con- 

 dition to withstand it in a great measure, 

 and he certainly can prevent the pasture 

 from being overstocked . Not infrequently 

 the use of the pasture is almost entirely 

 lost for one or two seasons, when a little 

 rest by removing the stock for a time or 

 by feeding green corn, sf)rghum, or other 

 soiling crops would have kept it in good 

 condition. 



The native grasses are hardy and are 

 adapted to the natiiral conditions which 

 prevail on the prairies. Some species 

 stand grazing much better than others, 

 and after a pasture has been used for sev- 

 eral years it will be found that the weaker 

 grasses are giving way to the stronger 

 ones. 



As a rule, the forage obtained from the 

 average prairie pasture is furnished by a 

 comparatively small number of species. 

 In the more thickly settled portions of the 

 great prairie States big blue-stem, bushy 

 blue-stem, the wheat-grasses, switch grass, 

 prairie June-grass, wild-rye, blue-joint, 

 and the various species of Stipa, Poa, and 

 Boutelona ftmiish most of the native pas- 

 turage. 



WEEDS OF THE NATIVE PASTURES. FiG. 1. -Western wheat-grass (Jaropyron 



spicatum). 

 The most troublesome weeds are either 

 annuals or perennials. The former, because of their vigorous and rapid gi-owth 

 spring up and take possession of a pasture in a very short time. The latter spread 

 more slowly, but are more difficult to eradicate. Left to themselves, the native 

 grasses will hold their owni against the weeds, but when they are pastured oflf and 

 trampled upon by the stock they are less able to cope with the more aggressive 

 species, and soon begin to die out. This is the time when the farmer sliould give 

 the grasses some extra care. With very little trouble the pasture can be kept in 

 condition for profitable grazing, while neglect or carelessness may result in the 

 practical loss of the use of the pasture for one or more seasons. 



