EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 356 



It is the plan of the Station to push the land clearing as rapidly as possible, 

 until there is enough land under cultivation to supply sufficient feed to en- 

 able an increase to be made in the flock of sheep, the dairy herd, and also 

 to feed a beef herd, without having to buy any roughage. 



FENCING. 



One and one-fourth miles of 48 inch woven wire fence was erected this 

 season, which enclosed another tract of land that will be used for grazing, 

 with the exception of forty acres now being cleared. The wire was purchased 

 at 63 cents per rod. The posts were cut on the Station farm. 



Two miles of fence will be erected in the spring which will finish enclosing 

 the Experiment Station property. This will give another half section for 

 grazing. A large part of this will make good cultivated land as soon as it 

 can be cleared. All of this land has been seeded, but owing to adverse con- 

 ditions at the time of seeding, the land has not sodded over completely. 



Cut-Over Land Management. 



The following is given very largely for the purpose of offering suggestions 

 to the new settlers in Northern Michigan. 



In observations taken while traveling over the Upper Peninsula, it has 

 been found that a great variety of methods are used in clearing brush land, 

 and from these, conclusions are drawn that will furnish items for consideration, 

 at least. 



It is self-evident to any one that the green brush must be destroyed. In 

 accomplishing this it is found that sheep and goats work to very good ad- 

 vantage. To get the best use from them, the land should be fenced in small 

 enough areas to compel the number of sheep or goats to do thorough work 

 in trimming the brush as high as they can reach. Then the balance of the 

 brush should be slashed, and as soon as convenient and the weather and 

 winds are right so that it will be safe to burn, fire can be used to excellent 

 advantage to sweep over the area, cleaning up the brush, and many of the 

 logs and old stumps. 



In using fire to the best advantage, one should be careful to have a wide 

 border burned around the area to be cleared, before it becomes too dry, thus 

 preventing danger of the fire destroying adjoining property. 



As soon as the fire has entirely died out, grass seed should be sown. The 

 kinds of grass seed will depend largely upon the types of soil. For well 

 drained soils, the following mixture has been a success on the Experiment 

 Station tract. 



Alfalfa 2 pounds 



Mammoth Clover 2 pounds 



June Clover 2 pounds 



Alsike 2 pounds 



Timothy 4 pounds 



If the ground has been allowed to settle thoroughly after the burning then 

 it would be advisable to wait until late fall or early spring for seeding. A 

 light snow will be found a great advantage while sowing, as a person will be 

 able to do the work without the use of stakes or the possibility of double 

 seeding, or of missing large strips, as he will be able to keep an approximate 

 distance from his back tracks. 



This new seeding should not be grazed until the plants become well rooted. 



