MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 300 



Table 1 — Summary of Analyses of Massachusetts Pasture Herbage 



Average composition — Per cent 

 Dry matter basis 



^ n ■;;! 



Average - all samples 96 54.74 



Average - spring samples 48 



- autumn samples 48 



Average - Gloucester series: 



spring samples IS 



autumn samples IS 



- Becket series: 



spring samples 6 



autumn samples 6 



- Stockhridge series: 



spring samples 6 



autumn samples 6 



- Colrain series: 



spring samples 6 



autumn samples f) 



- Miscellaneous types: 



spring samples 12 



autumn samples 12 



I'or Comparison: 



Vermont' (natural pasture) 



England^ (cultivated pasture) 



Scotland' ((natural pasture) 



(poor hill pasture) 



.57 .19 



West -A-Ustralia* (good), 

 (poor) . 



New Zealand' (good), 

 (poor)... 



South .Africa' (very poor). 



'EUenberger, H. B., Newlander. J. .A., ami Jones, C. H. Wrmont .\ur. E\p. Sta. Rul. 295. 1929. 



2Godden, W. Jour. Agr. Sci. vol. 16. Pt. 1 , p. 81. 1926. 



30rr, J. B. Minerals in pastures. London, 1929. 



^Underwood, J. E. Thesis. Univ. of Western Australia, 1929. 



5 Rigg, T., and .Askew, H. O. New Zealand Jour, of .-Xgr. vol. 38, No. 5. May, 1929. 



BTheiler, \., et. al. LTnion of South Africa, 11th and 12th Reports of the Director of Veterinary 



Education and Research. Part II. Jan. 1927. 



There are three principal points of interest in the figures for the different series. 



(1) There was a considerably higher protein and lower fiber content in the 

 samples from the Becket and Stockbridge series than in any of the others. The 

 difference is believed to be due largely to the greater moisture-holding capacity 

 of the Becket and Stockbridge loams, which results in a better class of pastures 

 from the standpoint of both quantity and quality of the herbage. The superiority 

 of these pastures was evident when the samples were taken, and the analyses 

 confirm it. 



(2) The calcium content of the herbage from pastures on the Stockbridge 

 series was relatively high. This is natural, in view of the limestone origin of this 

 soil type. 



