INTENSIVE GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT 



39 



the beginning of the season the milking herd, which averaged 44.4 head in 

 1928 and 43.5 head in 1929, was divided into two groups on the basis of milk 

 production. Whenever changes occurred during the season an attempt was 

 made to keep the two groups about tlie same in number and to keep the higher 

 producing animals in Group 1. The third group averaged 28.6 head for the 

 season of 1928, composed of 27 dry cows and young stock and 1.6 horses; while 

 in 1929 this group was somewhat larger, averaging 33 head of dry cows and 

 young stock and 26 sheep. 



Fig. 3. The Same Pasture in May, 1929, the Second Year of the Experiment. 



While these two pictures are not absolutely comparable because they were taken at 

 different times of the year, nevertheless anyone familiar with pasture conditions knows 

 that the same irregularities as shown in Figure 2 would have appeared early the next 

 season if the pasture had not been harrowed. 



Throughout the season the groups were rotated from plot to plot according 

 to the third principle of the system. Group 1 should show the greatest re- 

 turns from the best feed; consequentlj^ it was placed first in the rotation and 

 at a time when the grass was about four inches high. After the choicest por- 

 tion of the pasture had been grazed, these cattle were moved on to the next 

 plot, and their place was taken by Group 2, which in turn was followed by 

 Group 3. The latter group, being on pasture continuously, could still secure 

 abundant feed by closer grazing. After the entire plot had been grazed suf- 

 ficiently close by the last group, it was given a rest period of about two weeks 

 before the high producers were brought on to it again. 



