108 Hill Pasture Improvement. 



After the soil is loosened by the action of frosts, it 

 seems as if the tread of sheep is insufficient to compact it 

 again, and the heavy hoof of the cattle beast rightly 

 suggests itself. The important service of cattle in this 

 respect is supplemented by their use for grazing down 

 the coarser pasture growth ignored by sheep. Many 

 New Zealand graziers who have pastured some cattle 

 along with their sheep have noted the great benefit it 

 wrought to the land. Not necessarily simultaneous 

 sheep and cattle grazing, but in regular rotation 

 throughout the year, making the best of the feed. The 

 observations that come from Scotland regarding its hill 

 pastures are indorsement of this policy. They are those 

 of older and more permanently established pastoralists, 

 who had a better chance of making the necessarily ex- 

 tended comparisons ; and the conditions in that country 

 are equally applicable to New Zealand, for the behaviour 

 of hill pastures anywhere must vary but little. 



The circumstances surrounding the question of hill 

 pasture deterioration are such as to lead one to think 

 that exceptionally valuable benefit would be derived 

 from the running of a mob of cattle on paddock after 

 paddock of this kind of country, so as to compact the 

 frost-raised soil before the rains wash away the valuable 

 detritus, manure and decayed matter. All hilly country, 

 on account of its greater exposure to frosts, to sun, and 

 baking winds is liable to loss in this way by escape of 

 such pasture foods from off its surface. If, by aid of 

 suitable grazing this is avoided, the decay of vegetable 

 matter, utility of animal manure properly detained in 

 the ground, and the beneficial influences of air, sun, and 

 frost, will carry out their parts well, and continue to 

 maintain the la.nd's carrying capacity, if not really to 

 improve it. 



It must be conceded that a pasture, whether emin- 

 entlv or only moderately adapted for sheep grazing, will, 

 under the grazing of sheep alone, not receive the same 



