280 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



crop and the weather conditions which prevail. With early cutting of the 

 first crop and favorable subsequent weather conditions, the second crop 

 may be as large and well worth harvesting for hay. Certain precautions 

 in this connection are necessary, namely, not cutting so late as to prevent 

 further growth for winter protection. There is no objection to pasturing 

 the aftermath if not pastured too closely and if the character of grasses is 

 such as not to be seriously injured by the tramping of animals. The future 

 life and use of the pasture will be a factor in this connection. 



Capacity of Pastures. — The capacity of pastures varies all the way 

 from fifty acres to the animal unit in case of the range pastures of the West 

 to one acre per animal unit on first-class pastures in humid regions. The 

 capacity is also measured by the length of grazing season, and this is depend- 

 ent chiefly upon latitude and elevation. It is also influenced by the nature 

 of the pasture grasses, some prolonging their growth into the cooler portion 

 of the year. Experiments show that more product is secured as hay than 

 can be secured when the same grasses are pastured. This has been deter- 

 mined by comparing the relative yield of cuttings at short intervals with 

 cutting once at maturitj*. Such experiments have given nearly three times 

 as much dry matter in the form of hay as was secured in frequent cuttings. 

 The protein content of the new growth was much higher and aggregated 

 nearly as much in frequent cuttings as in the matured product. 



Pasture experiments in Missouri showed average daily gains of 1.65 

 and 1.85 pounds for yearlings and two-year-old steers respectively during 

 the summer season. At the usual charge for pasturage jn that state, the 

 estimated cost per hundred pounds of live weight was $1.60 and $1.90 

 respectively. Pasture experiments in Virginia covering several years gave 

 gains in live weight of 150 pounds per acre annually. This was on average 

 blue grass pasture in that state. The average pasture in the humid region 

 should produce 150 pounds live weight in cattle per acre annually. 



Composition and Palatability of Pasture Grass and Hay. — The com- 

 position of various kinds of grasses and hay is given in Table VI in 

 the Appendix. The composition of grass mixtures will be determined by 

 the relative portions of the species entering into it, and also by the stage of 

 growth when harvested, and the conditions under which grown. Nitro- 

 genous fertilizers have been found to somewhat increase the protein content 

 of the grasses. 



The palatability and digestibility of grasses as grazed are doubtless 

 much greater than those for mature hay. The labor required for harvesting 

 the hay is also saved. 



Temporary Pastures. — Temporary pastures are generally provided to 

 meet early needs and are designed for short periods. They consist of 

 annual plants, of which there are many species. These will be determined 

 by soil and climatic adaptation and the character of animals to be grazed. 

 Oats, sorghum and red clover make a good combination. Oats make rapid 

 growth during the early part of the season, while sorghum grows more 



