THE LARGE INCLOSURE. 31 



must also be taken into account. Ev^iiy plant upon the plots was 

 pulled up and the roots cut off at the surface of the ground. The 

 weights given, therefore, include all of the plant which grows above 

 ground. It is needless to sa}' that it would ))e impracticable, indeed im- 

 possil)le, to take the vegetation ofi' the ground as closely as this b}' 

 grazing. Furthermore, the method practiced in obtaining these esti- 

 mates removes all vegetation, leaving no seed for annual species and 

 no cover for the roots of the perennials. Another ver}'^ important 

 factor to be considered is the fact that so many of the annuals which 

 make good feed while green are of practically no value when once 

 they are dried. As an example of this maj^ be mentioned Pectocai'ya 

 linearis and the majority of the other ])orages. Even if it were pos- 

 sil)le to utilize the entire development of vegetation except what 

 should remain for seed, it would have to be done to a ver}' large 

 extent, especially in the case of the spring annuals, ])efore they rip- 

 ened. Attention is called especially to the fact that it would be 

 impossible for cattle to secure the same amount of feed that is indi- 

 cated in the above totals. The above apparent large yields must be 

 considered in connection with what is actually secured from pastures 

 under proper grazing methods in more productive parts of the coun- 

 try. Where ])lue-grass pastures arc properly grazed, and upon closely 

 cut lawns, there is not less than 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of material left 

 upon the ground continually, and a timothy meadow from which 2 

 tons of hay per acre has been removed has not less than this munber 

 of pounds remaining in the stubble. It will be seen from these meas- 

 urements, therefore, that the entire herbaceous development upon this 

 tract is not over two-thirds of what remains upon the ground, ungrazed 

 and uncut, in good pastures and meadows. 



To carry the computations and comparisons still farther, we can say 

 that as a general rule one-third of the hay and pasture plants are left 

 in the stubble. From the yields obtained here for the plants which 

 are not eaten by stock, or only eaten in part, 50 per cent should prob- 

 ably be deducted. Deducting therefore 50 per cent for plants not 

 eaten, and an additional 33i per cent for the quantity which should be 

 left upon the ground for the protection of the roots mainly, in the 

 case of perennials and for reseeding in the case of annuals, we have 

 left in round numbers an average of 350 pounds per acre as the total 

 herbaceous production available for stock feed. From this 350 pounds 

 per acre another large deduction nnist be made for plants which are 

 of forage value for onlv a short time during the season and therefore 

 are capable of only partial consumption. The borages have been men- 

 tioned in this connection, and a score of others might be enumerated. 

 Even Indian wheat is of little value after it has dried up, for the seed 

 falls to the ground very soon after maturity, and the remainder of the 

 plant is not eaten in the dry condition. In the same categorj^ belong 

 4416— No. 67—04 3 



