74 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



two or tlirce years ; so with many of the grasses in our pastures, 

 if tlicy are not permitted to mature their seed, they die, and 

 moss takes their place. If pastures are so situated that they 

 can he permitted to mature their seed once in three or four 

 years, and arc then closely fed, they will produce much more 

 than when they are fed all the season. It is not so much 

 against close feeding that we so much object, as against con- 

 tinuing for a series of years, without giving the pasture any 

 time to rest. We can point to pastures that have been injured, 

 we think, by not being fed close enough at any time ; the briers 

 and bushes have outgrown the grasses. 



" Change of pasture makes fat calves," is a maxim which 

 contains much sound philosophy, and if its teachings were more 

 heeded, we should have better pastures and cattle. In many 

 of our pastures it is now literally a struggle for life or death 

 between the cow and tlie grass, from spring to autumn, and 

 often neither has vitality enough to exult in a victory. 



But how shall we manage our pasture land ? When a farm 

 is so situated that it can all be conveniently ploughed and 

 manured, it may be best to change from pasture to tillage. But 

 upon most of our farms there are portions that cannot be profita- 

 bly tilled. When such land is covered with moss, we recom- 

 mend harrowing it in the spring, or warm days in winter, when 

 the frost is out of the surface from one to two inches, and 

 sowing grass seed. We prefer the harrow rather tlian the 

 plough for land that is to remain in pasture, believing that 

 nature put the soil right side up for grazing. 



In the south-eastern part of the county, the pastures are 

 injured by a weed that is not found to much extent in other parts. 

 We refer to wood-waxen, a plant which will have the sole occu- 

 pancy of the land wherever it gains a foothold. We know not 

 what resemblance this plant may have to the bush which the 

 Oriental shepherd saw burning is his pasture on Mount Horeb, 

 but we know that this is often burned, but not destroyed. 



Another method for improving dry, gravelly land for pasture, 

 is by raising the locust tree. This, unlike most other trees, 

 improves the quality of the grass, and increases the quantity. 

 A strong illustration of the benefit of this tree upon pasture 

 land may be seen upon the farm of John Nichols, in Danvcrs. 



