Hill Pasture Improvement. 109 



economy of treatment as where the grazing of other 

 stock accompanies it. Sheep are, under wide-ranged 

 grazing, notorious pickers and choosers; they will eat 

 almost anything when forced to, but their condition and 

 profitableness suffer, and there is a happy medium. Most 

 pastures contain grasses that they may not be partial to. 

 It may be a grass that they are not inherently attached 

 to, or it may be a grass that, influenced by the constitu- 

 ents of the particular soil, does not make itself palatable 

 to them. It is ignored by them, grows lustily, and re- 

 produces itself. In good growing seasons, when the 

 property is necessarily understocked, such grasses are 

 left alone, and thrive at the cost of the welfare of the 

 preferred plants. A lot of valuable cattle feed is here 

 wasted, while the carrying capacity tends to recede. All 

 this provides additional reason for cattle-cum-sheep 

 grazing, if the best is to be made of pastures, which 

 surely with the bright pastoral outlook, will cause all 

 stock grazing country to become more and more valu- 

 able, and deserving therefore of the fullest economic 

 treatment. Indeed, it may be said, with obvious para- 

 dox, that under the steadily increasing land values, 

 country that has receded in carrying capacity, has 

 nevertheless become more valuable. But, how much 

 more valuable would it be were there no receding of 

 carrying capacity? 



