CHAPTER XIII 

 PASTURES 



358. The Importance of Pastures, The acreage of 

 improved farm lands, according to the Census of 1910, was 

 about 477,000,000 acres. Of this, something Uke 145,000,- 

 000 acres was pasture land, more than was devoted to any 

 one harvested crop, even slightly exceeding corn. The total 

 area in range, mountain, and improved pasture land per- 

 haps considerably exceeds one billion acres, though this 

 figure is necessarily a veiy rough estimate (Section 325). 

 It is impossible to estimate accurately the annual value of 

 this pasture, but there is no doubt that it is greater than that 

 of any of the harvested crops. A valuation of $1.50 an acre 

 for the annual product of this land would aggregate as much 

 as the annual value of the corn crop in normal times. 



359. The Essentials of a Good Pasture. A good pasture 

 should start into growth early in the season and should con- 

 tinue to produce feed till late in the fall. The growth of 

 grasses should be fine rather than coarse, and the product of 

 the pasture should be both palatable and nutritious. The 

 yield should be abundant in order to furnish profitable 

 returns. The plants which compose it should form a close 

 turf which is not readily injured by tramping or close grazing. 



360. The Formation of a Pasture. In the making of a 

 pasture, about the same care is required as in the makmg of 

 a meadow, though it is not so necessary to have the ground 

 smooth and level. The plants which go mto the making of 

 a pasture should be as carefully chosen, and it is as important 

 to have good seed, free from weeds and other impurities. 

 Weeds materially reduce the value of a pasture, by occupy- 

 ing space which should be available for better plants, by 



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