June. 1940] 



Studies of Pasture Management 



17 



late summer growth and the next season's regrowth are small. Bhie- 

 berry and sheep laurel are almost impossible to pull, are very tough 

 and hard to cut, and are somewhat resistant to burning. 



Burning tor two or sometimes three years will be required to 

 satisfactorily control these three shrubs, particularly since none of 

 them is grazed even when fertilized. The advantages of burning, 

 other than the somewhat smaller amount of labor recjuired to con- 



Burned brush should be removed. 



Plot on Witty farm showing objectinnalile feature of burning brush without sub- 

 sequent removal. 



trol brush, are that it kills seeds that may have accumulated around 

 the shrub and it checks weed reproduction. 



Juniper is easily controlled by Inirning. It may be pulled with 

 power, but because of its extensive and fibrous root system pulling 

 leaves large bare places with no top soil left, and the several years' 

 accumulation of seed under the branches is scattered broadly in drag- 

 ging to pile for burning. Burning destroys many of these seeds and 

 effectively kills the plant. It does, however, leave the dead branches 

 to interfere somewhat with grazing. Although cattle will not graze 

 on juniper, usually so few new plants start after burning that grazing 

 is not a necessary part of the control of the shrub. 



Gray birch can be readily killed by burning with the fire gun. 

 Trees up to two or two and one-half inches in diameter may be hand- 

 led in this fashion. The oils in the bark are quite inflammable. The 

 new shoots that start from the root are fairly edible after fertilizing 

 and cattle keep them browsed down, preventing regrowth. Larger 

 birches and rather heavy stands are more easily removed by cutting, 

 and sufficient fuel wood may be obtained to pay for the labor of re- 



