24 MISC. PUBLICATION 194, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



TREATMENT OF NEWLY SEEDED PASTURES 



Considerable care should be exercised in grazing a new seeding. 

 The young seedlings must have time to develop a good root system 

 in order to withstand drought, freezing weather, and the strain of 

 being cropped by cattle. If many weeds appear in spring seedings it 

 may be necessary to clip the weeds 4 to 6 inches high before grazing 

 is begun. At all events the grazing should be rather light the first 

 year. On heavy soils, rolling early in the spring compacts the ground 



Figure 6. — Small, closely spaced ridges following contour liues. >Sul-1i ndges ou hilly ur lulling pastures 

 hold the rainfall until it soaks into the ground, thereby checking erosion and storing more water to carry 

 the pasture through dry spells. 



and tends to reset plants that may have been heaved by frost. Mod- 

 erate grazing is usually beneficial after the grass is well started. 



MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT OF PASTURES 



CAUSES OF UNPRODUCTIVE PASTURES 



After a permanent pasture has become firmly established, proper 

 methods of management and control of grazing, with an occasional 

 application of fertilizers to replace the plant food removed from the 

 land in the form of animal products, will keep the pasture in good 

 condition and productive for a long period. In many instances, how- 

 ever, the producti\^ty of a pasture is much lower than is warranted 

 when the soil and climate are considered. The cause of this poor 

 condition may be due to one or all of the follo^^'ing reasons: Poor 

 stand of desirable pasture plants; low fertility of the soil; poor drain- 

 age; the presence of undesirable plants such as weeds and brush; 

 and the lack of proper pro\asion for shade during the sumrner season. 

 Measures useful in overcoming these faults are described in the fol- 

 lowing sections. 



