Pastures in New York. 489 



as scarcely to be worth grazing. The plants on a square yard of sur- 

 face of one of these old pastures were counted. The various species 

 were present as indicated below. The numbers refer to the percentage 

 of the whole number of plants represented by each plant. 



Orange hawkweed (Hieracium Aurantiacum) 38% 



Wild oat-grass {Danthonia spicata) 34% 



Foxtail {Ixophorus Glaticus) 15% 



Canadian blue-grass 8% 



Red-top 5% 



Of these plants, Canadian blue-grass and red-top are the only ones 

 which are of any great value for pasturage. It will thus be seen that 

 only 13% of the herbage consists of useful plants. It is true that cattle 

 and sheep will eat the others if necessity compels. No care has ever 

 been bestowed on the pasture. The owner estimates that five acres 

 are required to support one cow for the season. 



A contrast on the same soil type. — One of the finest pastures observed 

 by the writer is located three miles southeast of Ithaca, on the farm 

 of Mr. E. H. Hildebrandt. The type of soil is the same as the above. 

 This field has not been plowed in twenty-five years. It is thoroughly 

 drained by means of bHnd ditches. Weeds are mown occasionally. 

 Twelve loads of stable manure per acre are applied every five years. 

 The principal plants are Kentucky blue-grass and white clover. Timothy 

 and meadow fescue are also present. Red-top and Canadian blue-grass, 

 species usually found on this type of soil, are wanting. Drainage and 

 stable manure are doubtless responsible for the presence of the better 



grasses. 



Another similar example. — A few miles to the south of Ithaca is a 

 pasture owned by Mr. C. E. Bruce. The land is very rough and has 

 been used for grazing for a long period of years. A few years ago it 

 was well manured and reseeded with timothy, without plowing. The 

 weeds are mown every year. Five acres of land supports four animals. 

 The owner says the pasture is especially fine late in the season. The 

 following grasses and clovers are found to compose the chief bulk of 

 herbage, given in order of prominence: Kentucky blue-grass, white 

 clover, red-top, timothy, meadow fescue, red clover. 



Reseeding by plowing. — An experiment along the line of reseeding 

 a worn-out pasture has been successfully performed by Mr. Kutsch- 

 bach on his farm near Sherburne. The soil is a rather light stony loam. 

 It had not been plowed for twenty-five years. The herbage was too 

 thin for a profitable pasture. It was broken up and planted to com. 



