364 CARE OK I'ASTUUKS. 



Nortli to iiUow 11 ])iirt of tho imstun! to;,'ro\v' liii'^^'o for liitc fall 

 fncdin^f. 



l-'of ft'odiu"^ late in iiiituiiin ami early s|)i'iiiLr. ni llu! Nortli, rye 

 is cxfcllciit to piece out or save tlie coiiiiiion pasture. 



The following; on the care of pastures in Iowa aj)]i(!are(l in the 

 St'ir )'(irl<' 'I'rHni iiv, and was written hy Professor S. A. Knapp: 



•'Many fanners do not yet understand how to niana<,'e the 

 j>asture to the Itest advanta<,'e. 'I'liey arc; so anxious to receiver 

 the full henelit of every erop (d' j^rass that they are alarmed if 

 tile irrass i.r,.ts the start of the catth* in dune, lest soiiie (jf it fail 

 to lie manufactured into heef or milk. 



"A little more ;/rass on tlu^ pastiin? than the cattlct can eat in 

 dnm? should not he a source of anxiety any more than an extra 

 crock of line Juiu! butter in tlie refri;,'erator. In the West 

 extremes of inoistun* ami drouj^ht are tli(! rule, and a dry ])eriod 

 is (piite lik(dy to occur in July and Au,<rust. I)urini( j)eriods of 

 droiiLiht there is scarc(dv anv growth of 'H'ass, at least entindv 

 insutlicient for tlu; stock. Clos(t [(razing' in Juno loaves tho stock 

 with insutlioiont food in caso of drought, and works serious injury 

 to tho f(ras,ses. 



"Tiast season furiushes a very good illustration. 'I'he latter 

 jiart (d' .luiKi there was upon an averages on tlus (Jollogo farm 

 pastures enough grass to make on(i ton of hay ])er acre; ])y the 

 1st of September, with iio increase of stock, they were practically 

 bare. Daily measuromonts of tlui grass indicated only a trifling 

 growth during July and August. The drought ])ogan in June, 

 and tlusre was not sufficient rain for jjastures till Se])toniber, 

 and the growth in September was not equal to tho denuinds of 

 the herds, as the grass appeared to start very slowly. Practically 

 the closest grazing was in September. 



" Tho effect of full and close jiasturiug u})on stcjck was tested 

 as follows: Four yearling Shorthorn heifers were k'opt in a 

 j)asturo with other stock and weighed the first day of each month. 



