TS6 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



more than exercise room and shade for the farm animals. There 

 are several important reasons for this rapid decline, which are 

 worthy of discussion. 



Probably the chief cause of deterioration is the same that has 

 so seriously aifected all agriculture in the humid sections — the 

 removal of the forests that sO' effectually controlled the run-oft' of 

 the rainfall and distribution of the moisture. 



Next in importance, and in some respects an effect of the first, 

 is the loss of humus and consequent development of undrained 

 areas where the nutritious grasses have been driven out and 

 replaced by the coai'ser and less nutritious water-loving species. 

 This is particularly true of a large area of the shale soils in 

 southern and western New York, where expensive underdrainage 

 will be required to insure complete restoration. Present value 

 of pasture lands will hardly warrant this expense. 



Another contributing factor was the opening of vast tracts of 

 cheap western lands, increasing competition and lowering prices. 

 In the face of this the eastern stockmen dropped the beef cattle 

 industry and turned their attention almost entirely to dairying. 

 As profits dwindled they attempted to stay the tide of their 

 fortunes by putting on more cattle instead of better, turning the 

 cattle out earlier in the spring and keeping them at pasture later 

 in the fall. This overstocking and overpasturing could have but 

 one effect. The valuable grasses were killed out by close cropping 

 and coarser weeds immediately took their places. It is a pleasure 

 to say that within the last few years a strong tide of reaction 

 has set in and that throughout the state a big movement is under 

 way for better cattle rather than more in number. The encourag- 

 ing fact of the situation is that pasture reclamation and improve- 

 ment are entirely feasible wherever good pasture has previously 

 existed. 



CLASSES OF PASTURE 



Broadly speaking, the pasture lands may be naturally divided 

 in four distinct classes : 



First, woodland in which farm animals are turned to gather 

 what scanty herbage they are able. This is hardly worthy of the 

 name of pasture and is a practice which should be discouraged 

 for the benefit of the trees. The Forestry Department is doing a 

 good educational work along this line. 



