INTENSIVE GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT 41 



pasture when allowed to remain, then in a pasture season of 150 days, this 

 will mean one hundred and fifty square yards per cow per season. The rank 

 growth around such spots will easily double this area, and in a herd of only 

 twenty cows this would mean a loss of one and a quarter acres of pasture for 

 the season. 



Fertilizing 



The complete fertilizer in the form of Nitrophoska was applied the latter 

 part of April with a Westfalia fertilizer distributor imported from Germany. 

 This is an endless chain sower equipped with revolving beaters which is de- 

 signed to spread evenly amounts as low as thirty pounds per acre. The nitro- 

 gen fertilizer in the form of Calurea was applied with this machine as a sum- 

 mer top dressing three times during the season at the beginning of the rest 

 period. 



Rolling 



In the spring, as soon as the plots had dried out sufficiently, they were rolled 

 with a heavy concrete roller to compact the soil and encourage a stronger turf 

 less liable to injury from the tramping of the cattle. In addition to compact- 

 ing the soil, this operation helped to smooth out the turf on certain areas 

 which had been badly cut up by the cattle during the previous wet season. 



Haying 



Plots VII, VIII and IX were mowed early in June, yielding a hay of ex- 

 cellent quality, high in protein. By the middle of July these plots were ready 

 to be grazed and were incorporated into the rotation to supplement the first 

 six plots. In 1928 the season was extremely wet and some difficulty was ex- 

 perienced in curing the hay. Consequently the hay remained on the plots from 

 10 to 22 days and considerable portions of the grass under the windrows were 

 killed out, thus handicapping these plots for the rest of the season. In 1929 

 the weather was ideal for haying and the hay was put into the barn in fine 

 condition. Plot VIII was mowed rather early, and this fact explains the 

 marked reduction in yield as compared with the previous year. Hay taken 

 from the plots was weighed and representative samples were secured. The 

 moisture content was determined by the chemistry department, and the yield 

 on all plots was computed on a 12 per cent moisture basis. The dry matter 

 was analyzed for nitrogen, and the protein content calculated. 



Results of Two Years' Work 



Records were kept throughout both seasons of the weights of the cattle, 

 milk production, additional feed consumed, yields of hay, and costs of all field 

 operations. A daily record was kept for each plot of the nmnber of each class 

 of stock pastured, milk produced and additional feed consumed while on that 

 plot. 



Rainfall During the Pasture Season 



Chart B presents graphically the monthly rainfall at Amherst during the 

 two yc.TS of the experiment and the normal rainfall for the same period. The 



