180 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



If any weeds should appear or if some of the 

 grass is left in clumps and begins to go to seed it is 

 advisable to clip with the mower. 



The pasture is possibly not much in need of 

 manure as some other parts of the farm because it 

 receives a considerable amount during the summer. 

 If there is plenty, however, it can be used to very 

 good advantage on the grass. It should be spread 

 evenly and not too heavily in the fall and harrowed 

 thoroughly with a spike-tooth harrow in the spring. 

 \Yhether any manure is applied or not, a good spike- 

 tooth harrowing in the early spring will be bene- 

 ficial. 



Since the animals spend the hottest part of the 

 year on the pasture it is necessary that some shade 

 be provided for them. Some good willows or Caro- 

 lina poplars planted along the ditch banks will grow 

 very quickly and add greatly to the value of the 

 pasture. 



In order to demonstrate the value of grass 

 pasture and to furnish accurate information con- 

 cerning the number of animals that a given area 

 will maintain we have conducted grazing tests with 

 dairy cows, sheep, and steers. 



In May, 1911, we seeded an acre of old alfalfa 

 land to a mixture very much the same as that rec- 

 ommended above for ordinary conditions. The 

 same directions that we have outlined for starting 

 a grass pasture were followed and an excellent stand 

 was secured. The pasture afforded a considerable 

 amount of feed late in the summer of 1911 but the 

 actual tests were not started until the spring of 

 1912. 



At this time one-half of the acre plat was 

 fenced in three parts for a cow-grazing test. One 

 cow was pastured on these plats and was moved 

 from one to the other as often as was necessary. 

 In a number of instances the cow had to be moved 

 from one plat before the next was ready to receive 

 her. In these cases she was taken to outside pas- 

 ture, but was always returned to the experimental 

 plats as soon as the amount of feed warranted it. 



Each plat was irrigated as often as seemed 

 necessary and the water was carefully measured. 

 In no case was a plat irrigated when occupied by 

 the cow. 



The experiment began on May 6 and extended 

 to September 6 with the following results : 



SUMMARY OF 1912 RESULTS 



Total days included in test 123 



Total days in pasture 112 



Total days off pasture 11 



Total number of changes from plat 



to plat 19 



Average days on each 6 



Average number of irrigations per plat 10 

 Average water applied per plat 2.574 acre-feet 



Since the Station owned no cow we were 

 obliged to borrow one and this was the only cow 

 obtainable. She was a mature grade horthorn 

 and was not in milk when the experiment began. 

 She freshened, however, so as to begin milking on 

 June 1 and from then until the close of the test, 99 

 days, she gave 2,826.5 pounds of milk. At the time 

 she began milking the cow weighed 1,290 pounds 

 and at the close of the test, 1,260, showing a loss in 

 weight of 30 pounds. 



During the summer of 1913 the entire plat (one 

 acre) was used for cow pasture. It was divided 

 into three equal parts and the experiment con- 

 ducted as in 1912. The spring of 1913 was late and 

 cold and we were unable to begin the grazing test 

 until May 12. On that date two cows were placed 

 on the first sub-plat. 



In this season it was not only unnecesary to 

 seek outside pasture but the two cows were unable 

 to eat all the grass afforded them. The entire pas- 

 ture was clipped once, producing 1,043 pounds of 

 cured hay. From June 21 to July 2, a period of 

 eleven days, three cows were kept on the pasture. 



SUMMARY OF 1913 RESULTS 



Total days included in test 123 



Total days two were in pasture 123 



Total days third cow was in pasture 11 

 Total number of changes from plat 



to plat 14 



Average days in each 9 



Average number of irrigations per plat 9 

 Average water applied per plat 2.727 acre-feet 



Cow No. 1 was a two-year old high grade Jer- 

 sey. She weighed 760 pounds at the beginning and 

 830 at the close of the test, showing a gain of 70 

 pounds. 



Cow No. 2 was a two-year old of ordinary 

 stock. She weighed 1,052 pounds at the beginning 

 and 1,100 pounds at the close, showing a gain of 48 

 pounds. 



Cow No. 3 was a mature grade Jersey weighing 

 940 pounds. 



The total milk produced on the pasture was 

 4,831.75 pounds. 



In the summer of 1914 this test was continued. 

 As in 1913, two cows were unable to eat all of the 

 grass and a third had to be brought in part of the 

 time. It was not necessary, however, to clip the 

 pasture this season. 



SUMMARY OF 1914 RESULTS 



Total days included in test 135 



Total days two cows were in pasture 135 

 Total days third cow was in pasture 17 

 Number of changes from plat to plat 15 



Average days in each 9 



Average number of irrigations per plat 10 

 Average water applied per plat 2.482 acre, feet 



Cow No. 1 of the 1913 test was owned by the 

 Station and was used in 1914. She weighed at the 

 beginning of the test 840 pounds and at the close 

 860. 



As in other years, we were obliged to borrow 

 cows and the only ones obtainable in 1914 were 

 mature grade Herefords, and were very thin at the 

 beginning of the test, so that they used more food 

 for beef production than for milk. 



Cow No. 2 weighed 820 pounds at the begin- 

 ning of the experiment on May 1. On August 17 

 her owner sold her to the butcher. On this date 

 she weighed 1,000 pounds, showing a gain of 180 

 pounds in 109 days. 



Cow No. 3 was first placed on the pasture on 

 June 1, at which time she weighed 810 pounds. She 

 remained until June 17, when she weighed 840 

 pounds. She was brought to the pasture again 

 when No. 2 was sold and at this time she weighed 



