TEMPORARY PASTURES. 359 



fertilizing permanent pastures. (See page 392.) 



When temporary pastures are to be fertilized, farm- 

 yard manure, reduced or unreduced, will usually give 

 better results than anything else that can be applied. 

 It is pre-eminently adapted to such a use, as it stimu- 

 lates growth in the grass during all the season of growth 

 by the nutriment which it furnishes; in winter it pro- 

 tects the roots from the adverse influences of cold 

 winds and frost; in summer it acts as a mulch, thus 

 protecting the plants more or less from the influences 

 of drought. By increasing root development in the 

 soil, it adds much to the available plant food for the 

 crops that follow. The fertilizer may be applied by 

 spreading it over the pasture evenly at any season of 

 the year that may be convenient, but to apply it during 

 the first months of grazing will to some extent cover 

 a part of the new growth made, so that it cannot be 

 eaten by the stock. Late autumn and early winter are 

 the most suitable seasons for such applications, because 

 of the lessened pressure of farm work; because of the 

 protection which it gives to the grasses and because of 

 great stimulus which it gives to the growth of these 

 as soon as the growth begins in the spring through the 

 nutriment carried down to the grass by the spring rains. 

 When the snowfall is not too heavy, it may be applied 

 with much advantage during all the season when the 

 ground is frozen. 



The chief objections to applying farmyard manure 

 thus have been urged : First, when applied fresh, many 

 weed seeds which will grow later are carried in it ; sec- 

 ond, much of it is lost through the wasting of early 



