IRRIGATION OF PASTURES. 317 



From five to seven sheep may bo pastured on the same 

 amount of ground required to keep one cow ; she will never 

 destroy the growing bushes nor prevent others from springing 

 up. But turn out the five or seven sheep instead, and within 

 five years, our bushy pastures, nearly worthless now, might 

 become flourishing and valuable as in former times. 



Sheep thus employed as substitutes for the scythe and hoe, 

 which latter scatter no fertilizing products behind, are vastly 

 more ready subduers, and, at the same time, leave a large 

 amount of manure of superior excellence. Even the very plants 

 and shrubs we seek to destroy by this means arc converted 

 largely into this valuable substance for the growth of the grass 

 we need. Thus our pastures, many of them, may be made lux- 

 uriantly green and velvety as those lawns surrounding your 

 dwelling-places. 



May not this desirable object be accomplished by much less 

 expense in the use of sheep than in any other manner, consid- 

 ering they will produce a few pounds of wool yearly, and a 

 lamb or two each, the profits of which will nearly equal the 

 product of a poorly kept cow, and this at no cost for mowing or 

 manuring the land ? 



Irrigation is another method which may be adopted for the 

 improvement of some pastures of this class, or any other favor- 

 ably located, and needing moisture at certain seasons. This 

 may be attained by the construction of a suitable reservoir at 

 the most convenient point, with a conduit laid to discharge the 

 water, accumulating within from rains from time to time, into a 

 furrow leading along into other furrows running in somewhat 

 parallel directions around the hillside. These furrows may be 

 furnished with small outlets here and there, in a manner to dis- 

 tribute the water evenly as possible over the entire surface, thus 

 securing an invigorating source of moisture to the soil in dry 

 seasons, and those elements of fertility held in watery solution. 

 The whole expense need be but trifling — only that necessary for 

 the preparation of the excavation, the erection of a slight roof to 

 conduct the water into it, and for laying the conduit and furrows. 



Our moderately hilly or rolling pasture lands are usually our 

 best and most fertile grazing grounds. These, except in rare 

 instances, should never be broken by the plough, breaking up 

 impairing their value. 



