162 AGRICULTURE 



close to their roots, thus adding to the waste. Weeds 

 should be cut from the pasture each year before they bear 

 seed. 



Grazing stock not only reject the weeds for the more 

 palatable grass, but also have their preference among 

 grasses. All have noted that the uplands in a pasture are 

 grazed close, while low wet areas are hardly touched. In 

 many cases the low parts of a pasture are almost wasted, 

 because the red-top and other wet-soil grasses are less 

 palatable than the blue-grass and clovers which thrive only 

 on well drained soil. Such marshy places should be drained ; 

 the better pasture grasses will then soon take possession. 



Pastures, like meadows, may become sod-bound. Almost 

 any old pasture can be improved by disking or cultivating 

 with a knife-toothed harrow. When this is done, fresh 

 grass seed should be scattered on thin places, or a desirable 

 new variety added to the plants already established. 



After being grazed, pastures grow better if they have 

 a rest from trampling and cropping. It is therefore best 

 to have two pastures, using them alternately, instead of 

 feeding the one continuously throughout the season. Such 

 an arrangement usually requires only the expense of a par- 

 tition fence, which the increased yield from the pasture 

 will well repay. 



TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION 



1. What is the age of the different pastures on your 

 father's farm? What is the predominating grass? What 

 other grasses are in the mixture ? 



2. Is there a pasture near by consisting of both upland 

 and marsh land? If so, which is the more closely cropped? 

 Secure samples of the grass from each part ; what grass 

 predominates in each case? Would it not pay to drain the 

 wet portion? 



