IMPROVING PASTURE LAND. 77 



been had it neyei: been ploughed, for land that has once been 

 worn out by excessive tillage without manure, although it may 

 lay uncultivated or pastured for a long series of years, will not 

 be what it would have been had it never be^en ploughed. About 

 four acres, which were covered with wood and bushes, have 

 been cleared, the land sowed with plaster, and it is now a first 

 rate pasture, far superior (as might be expected) to the old 

 pasture described above. One cutting of the bushes was suffi- 

 cient, as it usually is where plaster is used ; not that the plaster 

 in any way prevents the growth of the bushes, but a thick 

 growth of grass springing up, the cattle, while feeding it, will 

 also feed the tender sprouts, and soon eradicate the bushes. 

 Bushes, however, that the cattle will not eat, such as sweet fern^ 

 hard-hack, ground hemlock, &c., will require occasional cutting, 

 or pulling up by the roots. In the above case, the brush and 

 bushes were not burned, but rotted on the land, which I think 

 is much better than burning. The growth of bushes was whor- 

 tleberry, hazel-nut, witch-hazel, &c. 



On a dry part of the pasture, I spread on last year about 

 three cart loads of mud to the acre, which has improved the 

 pasture, and I think will pay the expense.^ The mud was taken 

 from a pond-hole in the pasture, in August, 1852. It appears 

 to be rotten vegetable matter, not unlike common meadow 

 weed, but not peat. 



On some of my other pastures I have used leached ashes, 

 from 150 to 200 bushels to the acre, with good success. 



The first of June I had in my pasture thirty-seven cows, four 

 oxen, one yearling heifer and two horses. It was not long, 

 however, before the butchers commenced taking away my beef 

 cows, so that by the time of the severe drought, in August, the 

 number of my cows was considerably reduced. Thus I had a 

 tolerably good supply of feed through the dry season, and an 

 abundance after tlie rains commenced. But I cannot state 

 definitely the amount of stock that my pasture would keep 

 through the season. It is desirable that there should be some 

 surplus feed in pastures, as close feeding is injurious, and 

 causes them to deteriorate or bind out. 



The increase of the feed is not all the benefit resulting from 

 improving pasture land, for as the quantity increases the quality 



