A PASTURE HANDBOOK 27 



to begin grazing about 2 weeks earlier than could be done on unfer- 

 tilized pastures. Applications of nitrogen are rarely effective, except 

 in the presence of adequate soil moisture. Hence the returns from 

 midsummer applications are often unsatisfactory. 



When barnyard manure is used for pastures it should be spread 

 lightly and uniformly on the whole pasture, preferably in the fall. 

 Spreading some phosphatic fertilizer with each load of manure is a 

 good practice. 



Shade trees and shelters (p. 54) should be set on the higher portions of 

 the field, and not along the banks of rumiing streams, as they so often 

 are (fig. 7). With good grass, the animals do not graze more than one 

 third of the time ; the rest of the time is spent lying down or standing 

 in the shade fighting flies. Hence, much of the manure of grazing 

 animals is not voided on the land that produced the grass. If the 

 manure produced while the animals are not grazing is deposited on 

 the tops of the hills, its beneficial effects on the grass may be noted for 

 several rods down the hillsides. 



On old pastures where there are relatively few desirable pasture 

 plants it is often better to plow, fertilize, and reseed the land than to 

 attempt to renovate the pastures by applying fertilizers alone. 



USE OF CONTOUR FURROWS 



On established pastures single contour furrows may be made with 

 a lister or plow, preferably a two-way plow, throwing the sod down 

 the slope. The furrows should be approximately 4 to 5 inches deep. 

 Shallow furrows closely spaced produce grass more quickly, distribute 

 the rainfall more evenly, and interfere less with mowing than large 

 contour ridges or terraces. Such furrows have proved to be very 

 effective and valuable in reducing run-off and increasing forage 

 production in many parts of the Great Plains. 



Contour bedding or furrowing has another important use in hiU 

 pastures where annual legumes such as lespedeza and hop clover 

 are used as a part of the pasture mixture. Lespedeza especially has 

 a light seed, and on hill slopes the seed is washed by hard rains into 

 depressions so that it is a problem to maintain even stands on the 

 slopes. Closely spaced furrows reduce the velocity of the surface 

 water, and moving seeds may be stopped in the furrows instead of 

 being washed away. 



CONTROL OF WEEDS AND BRUSH 



The application of fertilizers is one of the best means of weed con- 

 trol, as generally grasses will dominate when they have favorable soil 

 conditions. Mowing weeds at the proper time is another good means 

 of control. In general, this is when the weeds are starting to bloom 

 and before the seed has formed. It is necessary to mow twice during 

 the year to eradicate some weeds. 



Sheep and goats are very efficient in keeping down many trouble- 

 some weeds, and many farmers have found it profitable to keep a few 

 sheep in their cattle pastures because of their tendency to eat weeds. 



Shrubs and tree sprouts can best be controlled by being cut at the 

 proper time. Buckbrush and sumac can be eradicated if cut while 

 they are in flower. Work at the Connecticut Agricultural Experi- 



