3 



Perennial weeds, such as golden -rod, iron-weed, and some of tlie sunflowers, 

 can usually be kept in check by mo^^ang when in early bloom. The mower 

 should be run high so as to miss as much of the grass as possible. Occasionally 

 it is necessary to grub out such plants as the rosinweeds. 



Annual weeds, like mare's-tail or fireweed, simflower, and ragweed may be 

 destroyed in the same manner. The mowing should always be done before 

 the seeds ripen. This not only gets rid of the weeds, but gives the grass a chance 

 to take advantage of the fall rams. A thorough harrowing in the spring while 

 the weeds are very voung will destroy many of them and will also give new life 

 to the grass. Very'often weeds of both classes may be very effectually checked 

 by burning over the pasture after they are well started in the spring. 



EFFECT OF CULTIVATION ON NATIVE GRASSES. 



The various native grasses are very differently affected by cultivation. Some 

 do not do well at all and soon die out, others are but little affected either way, 

 while still others respond very quickly and improve almost at once. This last 

 class includes the most valuable of the native species, such as big blue-stem, 

 western wheat-grass, ^v'ild-rye, and prairie Jiine-grass. 



The effect of loosening up the soil is very ap- 

 parent in a field which has "gone back" and 

 seeded itself to wheat-grass or blue-stem. In 

 many parts of Nebraska and the Dakotas three 

 or more tons of hay are often cut from such 

 fields. The fine growth which most grasses 

 make along the edges of cultivated fields is a 

 sight familiar to all who have traveled over 

 the western in-airies, and ought to be an object 

 lesson to those to whom these same grasses are 

 of so much importance. 



The fact that cultivation improves the more 

 desirable native grasses has been demonstrated 

 by nearly every experiment station in the 

 West and by a great many private parties as 

 well. 



An experiment made at the Kansas Station 

 in 1892 shows what a thorough stirring up of 

 the soil will do for an upland prairie pasture. 

 The experiment was made on a pastiire in 

 wiiich the grasses had been dying out for some 

 time and the weeds were beginning to appear 

 in abundance. It had been reduced to this 

 condition by drought and overpasturing. The 

 surface was thoroughly loosened up by driving 

 a weighted disk harrow over the field in sev- 

 eral directions. The pasture was sowai to a 

 mixture of orchard grass, meadow fescue, blue 

 grass, timothy, red top, clover, and alfalfa, 

 which was harrowed in and a roller was driven 

 over the field to level the surface and firm the 

 ground. The seed germinated quickly and the 

 tame grasses made an excellent start, but by 

 September the wild grasses had crowded them 

 out and held complete possession of the field. 

 In this case the stirring of the soil and the season's rest not only enabled the 

 prairie grasses to recover and to overcome the weeds, but to crowd out a good 

 stand of tame grasses as well. 



This has been the experience in Nebraska and South Dakota where like attempts 

 have been made to renew worn-out pastures. The tame grasses are imdoubtedly 

 valuable aids, since the hardier of them will retain at least partial possession of 

 portions of the pasture and add considerably to the forage obtained. Many of 

 them, though they do not as a rule stand drought so well as the native species, 

 start earlier in the spring or make a better growth in the fall, and thus lengthen 

 the season during which the pasture may be iised. 



The continual trampling of the stock can not help biit pack the soil inore or 

 less, and consequently prevent its proper aeration. This packed condition also 

 keeps the water from gaining ready entrance, and it runs off and is lost. This, 



Fig. 2.— Slender wheat-grass (Auro- 

 pyroH tcnerum). 



