FERTILIZING PASTURES. 359 



pounds of mineral matter. And it is easy to see that past- 

 uring for a long series of years must gradually carry off the 

 fertility of the soil. It is, therefore, necessary that there 

 should be some provision for fertilizing permanent pastures 

 used for the production of 'milk. 



EXTRA FOOD TO FERTILIZE PASTURES. 



We think one of the best methods of keeping up the fer- 

 tility of cow-pastures is to give the cows extra food during 

 the pasturing season. This extra food will be repaid in 

 extra milk every week, and so enrich the droppings as to 

 fully compensate the pasture for all the grazing. This 

 extra food can be given at such times as the condition of 

 the pasture requires to give the cows full rations. Under 

 this system a few more cows may be kept than the pasture 

 is sufficient to furnish food for ; and thus the pasture will 

 be cropped evenly over the whole field, and the grass all 

 economized. While the grass furnishes abundance of food, 

 it will not be necessary to add the ration. This extra food 

 will come in to keep up a proper balance between the 

 requirements of the cows and the condition of the pasture. 

 This extra food may all be given in green clover, rye or 

 other green food grown upon other fields, or fed to the 

 cows in racks arranged in the pasture, or in stable, with the 

 manure distributed over the pasture as a top-dressing ; or 

 this extra food may be given in bran, corn-meal, linseed-oil 

 meal, cotton-seed meal, barley sprouts, or other grain food. 

 Some think it quite as economical to use one or more of 

 these extra foods during the period before green corn, mil- 

 let, peas and oats, etc., can be sufficiently matured for this 

 purpose. They reason in this way : If the extra milk will 

 fully pay for these foods, then it is better to use them, 

 because this extra fertilizing matter is brought to the laud, 

 instead of being taken from it. Hundreds of experiments 

 have shown that good cows will yield more than extra milk 



