No. 4.] NEW ENGLAND PASTURES. 9 



that while soil types and climatic conditions greatly modify 

 the carrying capacity of a given pasture, nevertheless the 

 great difference between the dairy pastures and the beef pas- 

 tures is one of management. The dairy farmer usually tries 

 to get all the feed that he can from the pasture, without ref- 

 erence to the condition in which it is left. If the pasture is 

 grazed a little too closely he supplements it with feed grown 

 on the tillable land, in order to help the cows, but still con- 

 tinues the overgrazing. The beef cattleman cannot do this. 

 The beef steer must have an abundance of feed close at hand, 

 so that if he is to make good gains he can get all he wants 

 to eat without much effort. As the profits are directly 

 dependent on the number of pounds of gain that the steer 

 puts on, the beef cattlemen have learned by experience that 

 there must be a luxuriant growth of grass for their steers 

 or else they will lose money. Consequently they ai-e very 

 careful never to overgraze their pastures, and if they see 

 that a pasture is being overstocked they immediately cut 

 down the number of stock. 



There are a number of causes why these dairy pastures 

 have deteriorated. One of the principal causes is the prac- 

 tice of turning stock on the ]')asture too early in the year. 

 Unless the grass plants are allowed to get a sufficient start 

 to have a good green leaf surface they are greatly handi- 

 capped in making much growth. A study of the structure 

 and life history of plants shows us that there are numerous 

 small green bodies, which l)y the way give the color to the 

 leaves, that are known to botanists as chlorophvl bodies. It is 

 necessary that certain kinds of the plant food absorbed by the 

 plant go to these small green bodies and thereby manufacture 

 substances which the plant can use in growing. If these 

 leaves are kept grazed so close that there is not an abundance 

 of these small green bodies the plant has very little chance to 

 make much growth, or, in other words, produce much forage. 

 If such a plant is kept grazed too close it will eventually be- 

 come enfeebled and will disappear. 



Again, on many soils, where there is a considerable amount 

 of clay, if stock is turned out while the ground is still wet 

 and " punchy," the ground becomes so compacted by constant 



