June, 1940J Studies of Pasture ^Management 13 



fcjrms, coming- in \\-here v.ither and larger growing brush has been 

 removed. 



Some of the acreage in Table \'III represents land cleared of brush 

 some time after timber and wood have been cut. Such removal adds 

 less to pasture production than is obtained by top-dressing or re- 

 seeding. None of these three methods have been carried far enough, 

 either as a single operation, or in combination to show significant 

 influence on total pasture production. 



Other pasture improvement practices 



Pastures in New Hampshire have gradually declined in productiv- 

 ity. As productivity declined the better grasses and clovers were 

 forced out and poorer grasses, weeds, and shrubs able to grow^ at low 

 levels of fertility came in. These persisted because they were not 

 subject to grazing. On some soils these "poverty" plants became 

 prominent in as short a time as five years. On other soils the change 

 took longer. But such a change occurred on even the best of soils 

 where no attempt was made to retain the good pasture plants by 

 maintaining soil fertility. 



Under continued grazing the change from good to poor herbage 

 took place more rapidh'. although more good herbage remained for 

 a longer period on the better soils, and only unpalatable brush per- 

 sisted under grazing. 



Results from pasture improvemient 



A few farms have carried on one or more improvement practices 

 and show increased livestock production. 



If we measure pasture improvement by carrying capacitv, certain 

 farms show marked change. A selection of thirteen farms (Table 

 IX provides data to show what methods are followed and what can 

 be done to maintain or increase carrying capacity of pastures and 

 crop land. On these farms, carrying capacity was increased in ten 

 years from 213 cows to 283 cows. 



No additional land or pasture w^as hired. With a total of 1.552 acres 

 of pasture, nearly 50 per cent open, 4.2 per cent was fertilized (8.7 



Table VIII. Acres of pasture brush removed on 55 of the 256 New 

 Hampshire farms in the survey, 1935 



County No. farms Acres 



Belknap 4 6.5 



Carroll — 



Cheshire — 



Coos 8 28.0 



Grafton 6 18.0 



Hillsboro 12 23.5 



Merrimack 3 3.5 



Rockingham 9 23.25 



Strafford 12 28.0 



Sullivan 1 35 



Total 55 134.25 



Acres brush remo\ed per farm 2.4 



