CHAPTER XIII. 



SHEEP PASTURES GROWN AT THE MINNESOTA UNI- 

 VERSITY EXPERIMENT FARM. 



During the past three years experiments have 

 been conducted in growing various kinds of pasture 

 for sheep at the Minnesota University experiment 

 farm. This work was begun and carried out under 

 the supervision of the author. It is unique in char- 

 acter and the results obtained have been not a little 

 remarkable. Only the merest outline of the work 

 can be given here, though every detail thereof should 

 be of interest to the flockmaster. 



Objects Sought. The following are chief 

 among the objects sought in the experiment, viz. : 

 i, to ascertain the extent to which sheep may be 

 confined with safety to pastures other than those 

 provided by the ordinary grasses without endanger- 

 ing their good health; 2, to ascertain the various 

 plants that are the most suitable to provide such 

 pastures, and also the relative suitability of these; 

 3, to ascertain the best modes of growing them and 

 of pasturing them when grown ; 4, to ascertain the 

 maximum amount of sustenance that could thus be 

 procured for sheep under the conditions, or, in other 

 words, to find out how many sheep could be sus- 

 tained on a limited area and also the mutton product 

 therefrom for the season; and, 5, to ascertain the 

 influence of such a system of pasturage upon the 

 cleaning of the land and also upon the maintenance 

 of fertility in the same. 



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