PASTURES AND GRAZING THEM BY SHEEP l8l 



ing pasture. Next to this, probably is Russian brome, 

 and after Russian brome, Kentucky blue grass. The best 

 method of opening the soil in the case of quack grass is 

 with the plow. The best method of renovating the other 

 grasses named is to run a good disk over them in two 

 directions in the early spring when the frost has left the 

 surface for but a few inches, and then to smooth them 

 down with a harrow. 



When additional seed is sown, it may consist in part 

 of timothy or other grasses, but more commonly of some 

 variety or varieties of clover, sown with the understand- 

 ing that their duration shall be more or less transient. 

 Their continuance is influenced by the character of the 

 soil. Meanwhile they add to the value of the grazing. 



As pastures grazed by sheep are rendered richer in 

 available fertility as a result of the grazing, the attempt 

 to fertilize them by applications is seldom made. There 

 may be times when it is not only legitimate but com- 

 mendable, as, for instance, when the ground is being pre- 

 pared for a crop to follow when the pastures are broken, 

 that calls for a rich soil to produce maximum crops. 

 Sheep fed heavily on grain rich in nitrogen, as oilcake, 

 will rapidly add to the fertility of the land. In some in- 

 stances enrichment may come incidentally, as when 

 sheep graze on rape and have access to a grass pasture. 

 Usually they rest much on the latter and so enrich it. 



Grazing sheep on supplementary pastures The chief 

 of the requisites to make such grazing successful are the 

 following: (i) Ample fencing, movable or permanent; 

 (2) a reserve grass pasture, where practicable, to be used 

 only when needed ; and (3) conveniences for giving addi- 

 tional food and water if necessary. The necessity for 

 these requisites increases with increase in the extent to 

 which supplementary grazing is used. Where supple- 

 mentary grazing is furnished by such plants as rape or 

 turnips sown with the grain, it may not be necessary to 

 make any marked change in the management from that 



