148 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



coarse tuft of grass will be eaten when the appetite is sharp- 

 ened with salt. Shade trees, also, largely control the place 

 where cattle stay. If the only jshade is down by the brook 

 or spring, this will add to the other attractions, and the 

 cattle will spend much time there. A few shade trees on the 

 upper side of the field, not only conduce to the comfort and 

 thrift of the stock, but keep the droppings where they will 

 be saved. Milch cows, unless otherwise strongly influenced, 

 will always lie about the bars, as some will have calves or 

 are anxious for milking time. Fat cattle and young stock 

 seek the most comfortable places for staying. Sheep seek 

 the most elevated parts ; never lie down in the swamp. 

 This habit of the sheep is one considerable reason of their 

 beneficial efiect on pastures. 



Young stock (as is also the case with dairy cows) will do 

 better when but few are kept in one enclosure. Convenience 

 demands the whole dairy herd to lie together ; but with 

 young stock, if water can be secured, some pains may be 

 taken to keep them in small enclosures, as thus the fertility 

 of the whole is more easily controlled, in addition to the im- 

 proved thrift of the animals. A change of pastures is grateful 

 to sheep ; it seems to benefit them, and their help in sustain- 

 ing the fertility and productiveness of the pastures is thereby 

 enhanced. As some weeds are eradicated by sheep, so con- 

 tinual close pasturing by them will prevent some of the 

 clovers and better grasses from seeding and they will run 

 out. While we would not advise 



Pasturing Cattle^ Sheep and Horses Together ^ 

 yet much advantage is often gained by an interchange of 

 pastures for a few weeks or for an entire season ; as some 

 weeds incline to multiply in cattle pastures, others in horse 

 pastures, and still others in sheep pastures, especially if thus 

 used for a term of years. I have two pastures that for ten 

 years had been used only for horses. Golden-rod came in, 

 almost unknown in adjoining cattle pastures, and threatened 

 to cover the whole. This season the cows have had a 

 partial occupancy and the golden-rod is mostly subdued. 

 Horses and mules will eat and thrive on the rank growth 

 of grass around the over-rich places in the cow pastures. 



