114 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



which plowing and harrowing will again bring to it, and 

 here they will remain, a perpetual annoyance to the mower, 

 unless removed at no little trouble and expense. 



MEANS OF RENOVATING PERMANENT MEADOWS AND PASTURES. 



The general theory adopted in regard to pasture lands, is, 

 that they are manured sufficiently by the animals feeding on 

 them. This opinion is only partially correct. Pastures 

 wear out less than other lands ; but when milch cows and 

 working animals are fed upon them, they carry off much 

 of the produce of the soil, which is never again return- 

 ed to it. Even the wool and carcass of sheep, with the 

 ordinary escape of the salts by the washing of the rains, 

 will, after a long time, impoverish the land. How much 

 more rapidly then, if much of the manure and all the milk, 

 which is rich in all the elements of plants, is daily carried 

 from the soil. To such an extent have the permanent, clay 

 pastures of Cheshire (England) been impoverished, that it 

 has been found necessary to manure them with crushed 

 bones, which at once brought up their value more than 100 

 per cent. Thera is much phosphate of lime in milk, and 

 bones, which are mostly of the same material, are the best 

 manure that could be used for dairy pastures. Wool con- 

 tains a large proportion of sulphur, and sulphate of lime 

 (gypsum) is therefore a proper manure for sheep pastures. 

 Whatever has a tendency to develope vegetation, will gen- 

 erally accomplish the object by yielding all the needful pro- 

 perties. Ashes and salt are of the highest value for pasture 

 lands, and with the addition in some instances, of lime, bones 

 and gypsum, are all that would ever be necessary for perma- 

 nent pastures. From the peculiar action of these, instead 

 of growing poorer, pastures may become richer through, 

 every successive year. 



Permanent meadow lands, if constantly cropped without 

 manures, may be exhausted with much greater rapidity 

 than pastures, though this depreciation is much more gradual 

 than with tillage lands. There is no greater mistake than 

 to suppose they will keep in condition, by taking off one 

 annual crop only, and either pasturing the aftermath, or 

 leaving it to decay on the ground. By recurring to the ta- 

 ble of the ash of plants, page 35, it will be seen, that the 

 analysis of hay there given, shows over five per cent., while 

 dried clover yields from seven to nine per cent, of earthy 

 matter. Every particle of this is essential to the success of 



