Pastures in New York. 



485 



table. If this is mowed the cattle will eat much of it. Moreover, a 

 new growth will start which is greatly relished 



If the pasture is to be mown it must be free from trees and brush. 

 An occasional tree in a pasture is valuable for shade. It is not a good 

 plan to pasture the farm wood lot. It usually furnishes but a small 

 amount of grass. The tramphng of the animals is bad for the soil with 

 reference to tree growth. Moreover, the young trees needed in renewing 



Fig. 157. — A pasture just over the fence from that in Fig. 156. The only 

 difference in the care used in handling these pastures is that the brush has 

 been kept out of this one. 



the wood-lot will be eaten or destroyed. A striking example of the 

 improvement attained merely by keeping out the brush may be seen 

 by a comparison of Figures 156 and 157. The pasture illustrated in 

 Fig. 156 is just over the fence from the other. The only difference in 

 treatment of the two fields has consisted in cutting the brush. It was 

 estimated that the brush in Fig. 156 occupied at least one-fourth of the 

 area of the land. Besides the actual area occupied by the shrubs they 

 draw heavily on the moisture and available plant food of the .soil. 



