392 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



prairie grasses have practically all disappeared, killed out by the 

 trampling of stock and the remainder was crowded out by Ken- 

 tucky bluegrass and white clover. These are the pastures I like 

 better than even the pastures of mixed grasses sown on cultivated 

 lands and which finally run to bluegrass and white clover in the 

 same manner as the native pastures mentioned and which seem to 

 have stronger growth. The service and revenue of any pasture 

 depend more on the handling than on the rainfall during the season. 

 We did not think much of the Kentucky bluegrass until we learned 

 how to handle it. We would turn the stock out onto the pasture, 

 at the first starting of spring, before the grass was tall enough to 

 get hold of it with their teeth, and see that all stock would be 

 turned on that could possibly make a living on it. This being 

 kept up until perhaps June would present on the more or less 

 rolling land in eastern Nebraska a pasture of short, thick growth, 

 on which an inch, two or more inches of rain would run off with- 

 out soaking the ground one inch in depth; while in the adjoin- 

 ing cornfield the soil was soaked to such an extent that cultivation 

 had to be postponed for two or more days. This condition would 

 not change until fall rains and cooler nights brought some im- 

 provement. All this taught us that we must have a good growth 

 of grass in any pasture in order to catch and retain the moisture 

 necessary to have a good growth of grass during the season. A 

 good bluegrass pasture wants fertile soil. 



We handle our bluegrass pastures as follows: We turn our 

 stock on as early as March when the new grass comes through the 

 thick growth of old grass of the former season. Horses and 

 cattle will do remarkably well until abou f May when they are 

 turned onto the mixed pastures. In this way the stock does not 

 know the change from dry feed to summer pasture. We now let 

 our pasture rest until nearly harvest and mow the ragweeds that 

 will be ready to cut the first week in July. If not cut they will 

 greatly injure the stock, the horses in particular, in which the 

 bloom-dust of the ragweed will produce an eye inflammation similar 

 to pinkeye. This weed, if not mown, will greatly hamper the 

 growth of grass, absorbing most of the moisture and holding down 

 the growth, while if mown it will not be harmful to the pasture; 

 on the contrary, it will act as a mulch and serve to hold up the 

 tall, rank growth of bluegrass. The stock now may be kept on 

 pasture until snow covers them, which is usually about the middle 



