PASTURE AND WASTE LANDS. Ill 



injury to the farm. He whose pastures fail, must sell his cattle. 

 He who sells his cattle will sell his hay. And he who sells 

 both cattle and hay, will ere long find that he must sell his 

 farm. 



The improvement of the pasture-lands of Essex County is, 

 therefore, a matter of great importance to our farming commu- 

 nity. We ouglit at least to keep them up to the capacity of 

 our hay-mows ; and, if possible, we should carry them beyond 

 this. 



It is doubtful whether any general rule can be adopted for 

 the increase or improvement of lands devoted to grazing. The 

 variety of tracts used for sucli a purpose, creates the necessity 

 for a great variety of treatment ; and the question is not so 

 much how can pastures be cultivated, as how can they be culti- 

 vated to a profit. It is estimated that four acres of land are 

 required for the pasturage of a cow ; and it is probable that in 

 their present condition nearly twice that number are necessary. 

 The price of such land is about twenty dollars per acre. An 

 acre which will serve the purpose of four, should bo considered 

 to be worth as much as four. How, then, can the farmer make 

 twenty dollars' worth of land yield as much as eighty dollars' 

 worth ? How can he improve, moreover, the quality of his 

 pasture grasses? And how can he economically provide himself 

 with good luxuriant grazing, upon which lie can rely during 

 the entire season ? 



There is no doubt that, as a general thing, the cattle of Essex 

 County obtain a somewhat scanty supply of food from the 

 pastures. Brambles, and bushes, and weeds, and mosses, 

 occupy a very considerable portion of the land called pasture, 

 and are constantly encroaching upon that which is free from 

 this burden. In the smooth pastures, the grass is short on 

 account of over-stocking, and, in many instances, not nutritious 

 on account of deficient cultivation or entire neglect. We have 

 but little land like that in newly-settled countries, where the 

 clearing of a forest is followed by a luxuriant growth of sweet 

 grasses ; and hence our business is chiefly with lands which 

 must be restored from decay. 



The application of various substances, such as ashes, lime, 

 plaster, bones, etc., as a top-dressing for exhausted pasture- 

 lands, has been tried and discussed, until its merits seem to be 



