70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



for stock. That animals grazing these exhausted lands can 

 make profitable returns in growth, milk, or wool, is not to be 

 expected. 



The phrase, "a fine, rich old pasture," so suggestive in several 

 of the States of tender steak, juicy mutton, rich cheese and 

 golden butter, rarely enters into the Maine farmer's vocabu- 

 lary. The factors essential in the make up of a pasture of 

 this character, are a good soil, adapted to the growth of 

 grass ; time to establish a thick, dense turf, made up of a 

 great number of varieties ; means iaken to eradicate all use- 

 less growth and pernicious weeds, that interfere with the 

 grasses, and the application, from time to time, of such 

 fertilizers as are needed to keep up and increase the fertility 

 of the soil. The Maine farmer, from the habits of long 

 custom, has become so strongly wedded to the use of the 

 plow on all lands arable, that it will require a deal of evidence 

 to convince him of the economy and advantage of the "let 

 alone" or rather "not to plow" practice in the improvement 

 and renovation of pastures. 



My province is not to enter into a discussion of the merits 

 of the plow in renovating pastures, yet, for the purpose of 

 comparison, I will briefly point out some of the objections 

 that may be presented against the use of the plow, in the 

 management and improvement of pasture lands : First, the 

 cost of frequently ploM^ng and re-seeding are items of no 

 inconsiderable amount. Second, our best grazing lands are 

 usually situated upon high ridges and along the slopes of hills. 

 The former when brought into tillage, being stripped of the 

 protecting grass sod are made thin and unproductive, by 

 having the fine particles of the soil blown away during the 

 high winds of late fall and early spring ; while the soil from 

 the hill-side, broken by the plow, during every summer 

 shower is being brought down to fill up the lower lands, till 

 in time all the soil available for plant growth has been re- 

 moved, and barrenness follows. Third, the enhanced cost 

 for fencing in the division and subdivision of lands that are 

 used, a part of the time in tillage, and a part of the time in 



