MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LANDS 323 



drain them. Liming with ground limestone may fol- 

 low if the soil is lime-deficient. Apparently the use of 

 floats or fine-ground phosphatic rock in large amounts 

 is effective through a series of years. If one is in haste 

 to improve a pasture first correct soil acidity with lime 

 carbonate and disk the surface enough to loosen it some- 

 what without destroying the grass. Then fertilize with 

 500 pounds to the acre of bonemeal, or with 400 pounds 

 of acid phosphate and 100 to 200 pounds of nitrate of 

 soda, or use the phosphate or bonemeal alone and sow 

 over the land fresh seed, mainly of red and white clovers, 

 say 4 pounds of red and 2 pounds of white per acre (less 

 will often serve well) and again harrow to cover the 

 seed. This should be done in early spring. It will cost 

 something thus to fertilize a pasture, but it is doubtful 

 whether any outlay on the farm will return better profit. 



MANAGEMENT OF PASTURES. 



It is commonly assumed that a shaded, pasture is best 

 for grazing animals, and that shade may have some 

 value in preventing sunburning of grass. These beliefs 

 are fallacious. Animals graze best in pastures with lit- 

 tle or no shade, and the grass suffers sooner from drouth 

 under trees than in the open sunlight. Tree roots are 

 vigorous feeders and absorb moisture and fertility more 

 rapidly than can grass roots. There is but one tree 

 which will, to my knowledge, benefit the pasture land 

 as pasture, and that is the black locust, which, being a 

 legume, enriches the soil. It is not worth while to ferti- 

 lize grass growing under trees of dense shade; in spread- 

 ing manure on grass we always give directions to our 



