PASTURE. 519 



(a) Amount of Forest Fodder. 



The amount of grass and herbage produced in a forest depends 

 chiefly on the fertility of the soil, the amount of light afforded 

 and climatic conditions. The richer and moister the soil, the 

 more it is exposed to light and the milder the climate, the more 

 fodder will be produced. 



i. Soil. 



As regards soil, the amount of clay it contains (up to a 

 certain point) is the chief factor in producing fodder ; sandy 

 soils produce as a rule the least grass; limestone mountains 

 also produce little grass, being often characterized by scarcity 

 of springs and a slow disintegration of the rock, they also 

 abound in deep gorges. As soon, however, as a little clay 

 is mixed with either sand or limestone, provided that the 

 soil does not thereby become too stifi', or impermeable by 

 water, plenty of grass will be produced. An abundant and 

 constant supply of water during summer is almost more 

 important than a mixture of clay, for grass production. On this 

 account, the crop of grass on a naturally dry soil is markedly 

 increased by an admixture of humus, or by the shelter of a 

 thinly stocked wood [of larch, for instance. — Tr.], which 

 moderates radiation from the ground and protects it from drying 

 winds : for this reason, mountain-forest grazing-grounds and 

 grassy blanks are so much moister than those outside the forest. 

 Anyone can observe the increased deposition of dew in open land 

 with scattered shrubs and bushes which keep-oflfthe wind, and the 

 comparative dryness of similar land without this protection. 

 The depreciation of Alpine meadows in the Tyrol and many 

 parts of Switzerland and Austria-Hungary is chiefly due to the 

 clearance of forests. If the soil once suffers a diminution of 

 steady moisture; moss, sour grasses, rushes, &c. take the place 

 of sweet meadow-grasses. Areas which have been rapidly 

 cleared or sw-ept by storms, with rich moist soil especially on 

 southern aspects, often afford the worst pasturage. They 

 become overgrown with a dense crop of weeds, which leave no 

 room for nourishing grasses. Cattle-grazing in such places 

 almost entirely prevents the growth of all forest trees. 



