1911.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 21 



growths, the iirst step in iniproveineut should be their removal. 

 It has been common among our farmers to cut such vegetation 

 in their pastures from time to time. Mj observation convinces 

 me that this treatment is usually disappointing in results. At 

 whatever season of the year such vegetation is cut it is likely 

 to spring up again, and it may be cut year after year for a long 

 series of years and still not be exterminated. While the initial 

 outlay is, of course, much heavier. resultvS ultimately much more 

 profitable and satisfactory will, in my judgment, be obtained by 

 uprooting bushes, etc., at the outset of any efforts towards im- 

 provement. When cleared of foreign vegetation a pasture may, 

 in many cases Avitli advantage, be harrowed and seeded if the 

 surface is much broken as the result ; but if the obstructions 

 have been widely scattered, it may be advisable simply to level 

 the areas dug up in connection with the removal of the foreigii 

 vegetation and to seed those areas only. Kentucky blue 

 grass and white clover will be more useful than any other varie- 

 ties, and will, I think, as a rule be the only kinds desirable. 

 After the surface has thus been cleared, such pastures, as well 

 iis those which are now clear, may be expected to repay judi- 

 cious top-dressing. 



It may be here pointed out that improvement of our pastures 

 will not only increase the amount of stock which a farmer can 

 keep, but it will be likely to increase the milk yield of a given 

 number of cows, since in improved pastures the animals will be 

 able to gather sufficient food in a much smaller number of hours, 

 and will have leisnre to ruminate, and to convert a larger por- 

 tion of the feed consumed into milk. 



In pastures in which the surface is occupied in considerable 

 measure by rocks, top-dressing is of course likely to prove less 

 ]n'ofitable than in those which are free from such obstructions. 

 It will be apparent, further, that the more nearly level the pas- 

 ture the less probability that the materials used in top-dressing 

 will be washed away. 



]\IaTKRTAT..S ITRED in ToP-DRESSIKTr. 



It is believed that the basic slag meal used in the experiments 

 referred to is peculiarly suited to meet the requirements of a 



