182 THE PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE 



will have been used by the plants, and some of 

 the products of the animals which consume the 

 grass will never be returned to the pasture ; hence, 

 the pasture will tend to become less productive as 

 the years pass. And, as the plants become old, 

 they are less vigorous than young ones, not only 

 because of age, but from frequent injuries from 

 the animals. It is, therefore, necessary to main- 

 tain the pasture, as well as to prepare it in the 

 beginning. 



26. Maintaining the pasture 



311. The grass should be of the right kind. 

 In the North, June-grass or blue-grass is the 

 most permanent pasture grass, and it is the one 

 which gradually works into pastures after other 

 grasses begin to fail. Timothy is commonly sown, 

 about six quarts to the acre. A little June-grass 

 seed may be added, but this grass may usually 

 be depended upon to come in of itself. Orchard- 

 grass is useful in shady pastures and stands graz- 

 ing well, but grows too much in stools. Red- top 

 is useful in the moister lands. In the South, 

 Bermuda grass and Japan clover are best. 



312. After the pasture has been secured, the 

 grasses must be maintained for many years in 

 full vigor. It is pre- supposed that the clovers 

 have been used to a limited extent in the grass- 

 seed mixtures when the pasture was first made, 



