PASTURING. 



153 



may be allowed to pasture such a meadow after the last 

 crop of hay has been made, and a sufficient interval has 

 elapsed to thoroughly dry the ground and give the grass 

 a start again. There is no better or cheaper way to fer- 

 tilize a meadow than this. But if heavy rains occur, the 

 flock should be removed at once, and not admitted until 

 the ground is dry again. Where a tough, thick sod 

 covers the ground, greater latitude may be permitted. 

 There are irrigated meadows in parts of England which 

 possess a sod so dense, and such a heavy growth of grass, 

 that one acre inclosed with hurdles is the regular daily 



Fig. 78. FOKM OF HUBBLE. 



allowance of pasture for 1,000 sheep. This is equal to 

 43 1 | a square feet for each sheep, or a space of 4 by 11 feet 

 only. The droppings of such a flock, so fed, will be a rich 

 and most evenly distributed manuring, and when, as in 

 the cases referred to, the sheep are fed with oil-cake or 

 grain in addition to the pasture, a great increase of fer- 

 tility results. But it is questionable if we shall ever see 

 such a meadow under our more ardent skies, unless it 

 be by means of irrigation and fertilizing, such as are 

 there in use. 



The use of hurdles, for pasturing sheep upon irrigated 

 meadows, is an absolute necessity. Unless confined in 

 this way, sheep will wander over every portion of a field 

 in one day, and picking out some favored spot will remain 

 there, leaving others. The flock should then be confined, 

 in such a space as they may pasture down evenly, and 



