6 IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURES IN EASTERN NEW YORK, ETC, 



for market purposes on grass, there must be a luxuriant growth of 

 it. (See PI. I, fig. 2, and PI. II, fig. 2.) If an attempt is made to 

 carry too large a number, the animals immediateh" begin to lose flesh. 

 This means that a beef pasture can not be profitably grazed to a 

 point where it will be damaged. 



Many dairymen consider that cattle do not do as well where the 

 o-rass sets tall. It is true that if grass is allowed to head out and get 

 woody live stock do not relish it. The best stockmen have learned 

 by experience that whenever grass gets ahead of the cattle it is an 

 easy matter to mow the tall grass, letting it lie on the ground as a 

 mulch. This allows the grass to again send up a fresh, succident 

 growth, the pasture and the cattle both being benefited. While 

 stock do not do as well if the grass is too old, it is equally true that 

 the grass must be given a chance to get a good start. 



Many New England farmers believe that b}^ close grazing weeds 

 can be kept out. As a matter of fact, this very practice gives the 

 weeds a better start. In the western part of the United States, 

 where the rainfall is much less than in the East, the fact that over- 

 grazing causes weeds to become more abundant has been very defi- 

 nitely proved. In California, as a result of overgrazing, the original 

 grasses and forage plants were destroyed. Their places were taken 

 by other plants that were not relished by live stock, these plants 

 gaining ground because the stock did not eat them readily. After 

 the more valuable forage plants disappeared, the stock learned to 

 eat the plants of inferior character. These in turn were overgrazed 

 and disappeared, their places being taken by plants having still 

 less forage value. In this manner the carrying capacity of the Cali- 

 fornia ranges has been greatly lowered in the course of two genera- 

 tions.'^ 



A study of range conditions shows that whenever a dry season 

 occurs if there is not enough vegetation to make a good ground 

 cover, as is the case Avith the pasture shown in Plate I, figure 1, the 

 soil dries out very rapidly and many plants are killed. With the 

 advent of a more favorable season the weeds usually take their 

 places. This condition has occurred in eastern New York and the 

 New England States during the seasons of 1908 and 1909. It will 

 be even more strikingly shown in 1910 if the season is favorable for 

 plant growth. The weeds naturally are followed by brush (PI. II, 

 fig. 1) , and the pasture eventually becomes worthless. Many farmers, 

 not knowing the remedy, take no steps to prevent this condition of 

 affairs. They consider that their pastures have "just naturally 

 played out" and that there is no practical remedy. 



o Bulletin 12, Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1902. 

 [Cir. 49] 



