MEADOWS AND PASTURES 107 



the sandy lands along the coast northward, sheep's fescue 

 will often grow to the practical exclusion of other grasses. 



Attempts to establish permanent pastures of other 

 grasses in places where one or more of those mentioned 

 above are aggressive have rarely been successful. 



95. Treatment of permanent pastures. The treat- 

 ment of pastures to secure the maximum return is a subject 

 upon which much writing has been done, but in America 

 at least but little experimentation. 



The first comprehensive experiment of this kind is that 

 being carried on at the Virginia Experiment Station, but 

 no results of which have yet been published. The object 

 of these experiments is to determine the relative merits 

 of different treatments : 



1. Continuous light grazing. 



2. Continuous heavy grazing. 



3. Alternate light grazing, without harrowing. 



4. Alternate light grazing, with harrowing. 



5. Alternate heavy grazing, without harrowing. 



6. Alternate heavy grazing, with harrowing. 



It is only by such experiments that quantitative results 

 can be obtained that will definitely determine the best 

 methods of treating permanent pastures. 



From observations there is strong reason to believe 

 that heavy grazing, but not overgrazing, is preferable to 

 light grazing. In any pasture, unless overgrazed, it may 

 be observed that the animals keep the grass closely grazed 

 in definite areas and neglect the remainder. The animals 

 prefer the short, fresh growth and avoid the older leaves 

 and stems, unless driven by hunger. Farmers usually 

 prefer to graze their pastures lightly so as to have a sur- 

 plus in case of emergency such as periods of drought 

 but it would seem wiser to utilize the pastures more fully 



