PASTURES AND GRAZING THEM BY SHEEP 169 



variety. Alfalfa has been recommended as a permanent 

 pasture plant for sheep, but its value for such a use unless 

 mixed with other grasses is problematical, because of the 

 harm through bloating which the alfalfa may give rise 

 to in sheep and the harm through close grazing which the 

 sheep may do to the alfalfa. 



Grass pastures temporary in character The com- 

 position of grass pastures temporary in character must, 

 of course, be much influenced by the adaptation in the 

 grass and clovers in each locality. Such plants only can 

 be used as are able quickly to establish themselves in the 

 soil. If they can establish themselves in a single season, 

 their adaptation is, of course, higher than if a longer 

 time is required. Timothy occupies a foremost place 

 among the grasses that establish themselves quickly. 

 Orchard grass, tall oat grass and some of the rye grasses 

 are akin to it in this respect, but the limitations to their 

 adaptation tend much to circumscribe the area of their 

 growth. Russian brome occupies an intermediate place 

 and meadow fescue and Kentucky blue grass are so slow 

 in becoming established as to render it unwise to sow 

 them for such grazing. All the clovers establish them- 

 selves quickly and are therefore suitable for such pastures. 

 No other mixture of grasses has become so gen- 

 erally popular in providing temporary pastures as timo- 

 thy and medium red clover, as, sown in the spring along 

 with a nurse crop, they usually cover the ground by the 

 advent of winter. But several varieties of clover will 

 serve the purpose better than one variety, since they 

 provide food at different times as growth progresses. 

 Sainfoin, but little grown as yet in America, will doubt- 

 less have a place in some of the states in providing pas- 

 ture for sheep. It will grow in soils rather dry and poor. 

 It is fine of stem and leaf, and sheep are very fond of it. 



The duration of such pasture must be determined 

 by such conditions as the extent to which the pasture is 

 wanted and the nature of the rotation. Usually such 



