14 University of New Hampshire [Sta. Bull. 326 



per cent of the open area), 3 per cent was seeded, and 5.8 per cent 

 was cleared. Some crop land, 6 per cent, was turned into pasture. 

 A total of 19 per cent of the open area was variously improved. 

 This area compares with 3.5 per cent of the open area for all farms. 

 Measured in terms of needed pasture the improved area of 298.5 

 acres on these farms would under normal conditions provide about 

 half of the needed pasture for the 1925 herds. For the larger herds 

 pasture furnished 80.C per cent of the feed as compared with 75.5 per 

 cent furnished by pasture on all farms. The improved pasture has, 

 therefore, not only increased carrying capacity by 32.8 per cent but 

 provided 6.7 per cent more pasture for the increased size of herds, 

 or. on the basis of the original number of cows, would have provided 

 113.2 per cent of the roughage needed during the pasture season. In 

 other words, these farms could have reduced their pasture area by 

 33.3 per cent and still have maintained their original herds in as good 

 condition as before. 



Table IX. Pasture improvement results on 13 N. H. farms dur- 

 ing ten years, 1925-1935 



No. farms 13 



No. cows or cattle units (1925) 213 



No. cows pr cattle units (1935) 283 



Total acres pasture 1,552 



Acres open pasture 760 



Acres open pasture fertilized 66.25 



Acres open pasture seeded 47.50 



Acres pasture cleared 90.50 



Acres crop land diverted to pasture 94.25 



Total acres increased pasture 184.75 



Total improved area 298.50 



Improved area per farm 22.96 



Improved area per cow 1.05 



It must be remembered that this is the total improvement made 

 over a period of ten years. Most of the brush-cleared land has had 

 no other treatment. Some of the fertilized and seeded area has been 

 treated but once. A complete pasture improvement program on 

 these farms would have meant even greater carrying capacity than 

 at present. The improved area is about an acre per cow. Only that 

 cleared and taken out of crop land really means any addition to the 

 area of open i)asture. represented by the 760 acres shown at the entl 

 of the 10-year period, 1935. 



Experimental Plots 



The first step in a pasture imprtjvement program is to fertilize the 

 good open pasture land. The second is to utilize the unneeded and 

 poorer hayland for pasture. The third is to plow and reseed areas 

 too poor to warrant fertilizing without reseeding. 



Since all of these practices would still leave the dairy industrv 

 with less pasture than is needed, removal of brush and fertilization 

 of some of the l)etter non-plowable permanent pasture seem to be 

 the most satisfactory method of obtaining the additional necessary 

 pasture. 



