June. 1940] Studies of Pastuee Management 23 



Summary and Conclusions 



'T'HE available open pasture of New Hampshire farms studied is 

 •'■ in such condition that it would furnish only about three-fifths of 

 the total amount of pasture needed for our present livestock. To 

 ])rovide the necessary pasture, about 20,000 to 25,000 acres of brush 

 pasture must be cleared, and this as well as the good present open 

 pasture must be fertilized. This should provide a total of about 196,- 

 500 acres of good open pasture. 



It seems uneconomical to incurr considerable expense by harvesting 

 crops to feed to dairy cows during the pasture season, instead of im- 

 proving pastures so that the cows may do their own harvesting. 



There are several ways of producing summer green feed, but these 

 are all more expensive than obtaining green stuff from pastures. 

 Rov.en furnishes cheap pasturage, but close grazing may injure later 

 hay crops. 



On farms with some improved pasture more grain, silage, and 

 green feed were fed than on those farms Avhere no pasture was im- 

 proved. 



Ensiling grass and clover provides a means of avoiding losses from 

 poorly cured hay during wet periods, and furnishes a satisfactory 

 supplement to late summer dr}' pastures as well. 



The average pasture season of 144 days is shorter than would be 

 possil)le under a complete and satisfactory improved pasture pro- 

 gram. 



As farmers are already purchasing hay. there is only a limited 

 opportunity to convert the poorer hayland into permanent pasture. 

 Where such land is available, however, it oft'ers an excellent means 

 of obtaining permanent pasture at a lower cost than by clearing brush 

 from land. 



The large area of so-called pasture requires unusually heavy ex- 

 penditures for fencing, both in materials and labor. On many farms 

 the savings in fencing costs on an area of improved pasture much 

 smaller than the present permanent pasture area, would pay the 

 annual fertilizer bill for improved pasture. 



The kind of brush present on pastures is an indication of the level 

 of soil fertility. Juniper, sweet fern, sheep laurel, and hardback 

 among the shrubs, clubmoss, wintergreen, cinquefoil, ladies' tobacco, 

 and yarrow with poverty and sweet vernal grasses grow on soils 

 near the lowest level of fertility. 



The kind of brush is also an indication of the potential quality of 

 pasture. Some shrubs such as sweet fern, if in nearly pure stands, 

 indicate in general a light soil not well suited for improvement. A 

 heavy stand of either hardback or meadow sweet is usually an indi- 

 cation of a soil with a high moisture-holding capacity, with good 

 pasture possibilities when improved. 



A mixed stand of brush is usually found on a good pasture soil. 

 It is also an indication of some improvement in soil fertility, or a 

 step up from the juniper level. 



Three methods of brush removal were used, pulling, cutting, and 

 burning. Pulling required about 100 hours, cutting about 80 hours, 

 and burning about 60 hours per acre. 



