PERENNIAL FORAGE GRASSES 35 



1. By sowing upon the pasture from time to time moderate 

 quantities of a suitable mixture of grass seeds. This is espe- 

 cially desirable in case fields are kept closely pastured and thus 

 not allowed to re-seed. 



2. Although it may slightly decrease the palatability of the 

 grass for the time being, the spreading of stable manure is 

 a means of greatly improving the productivity of a pasture. 

 Where stable manure is not available commercial fertilizers 

 may be used. For the North Atlantic states nitrogenous fer- 

 tilizers generally give the best results ; but for the North Central 

 states fertilizers containing phosphoric acid as well as nitrogen 

 should be used. 



Continued pasturage by cattle not otherwise fed may slowly 

 reduce the fertility of the soil. Fattening animals on pasture 

 or feeding grain to milch cows while on pasture increases the 

 fertility of the soil by returning more to it than is taken from 

 it. Experiments have been made by Lawes and Gilbert which 

 show that different fertilizers have very different effects on 

 different grasses and clovers. They find that the most complex 

 herbage occurs on unmanured land, that potash and phosphoric 

 acid increase the proportion of leguminous plants, and that 

 nitrogen and green manure increase the proportion of grasses. 

 The yield of hay was increased more by the use of stable 

 manure and nitrogen than by the use of phosphoric acid and 

 potassium. It is evident that with different kinds of fertilizers 

 favoring different kinds of plants, the character as well as 

 the kind of pasture may be influenced by the character of the 

 food fed the stock which feed upon the pasture. The kind 

 or purpose for which the stock is used may affect the pasture 

 for a similar reason. 



3. Pastures may be improved by harrowing, which may be 

 done with a spike tooth or chain harrow in order to spread 

 the droppings of the cattle, thus not only increasing the produc- 

 tion of grass but also its palatability. This may be done during 



