FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZAKKS. 



39 



cattle to have access to the new pasture, and at the same time to an 

 old, well established pasture sufficient to maintain them. There is 

 then no danger of the cattle cropping the new pasture too closely, 

 but they assist in keeping the young sprouts down. By the third 

 year the newly seeded areas are usually established and capable of 

 furnishing grazing. (See fig. 15.) 



The clearing of this land for cultivation before seeding to grass 

 under the ordinary practice usually requires several years. The first 

 year after clearing land the pasture is not materially improved. The 

 second year the native grasses, together with crab grass, beggar lice, 

 lespedeza, and young sprouts, furnish considerable pasture. The 



Fig. 15. — Burning off and breaking, a step in the process of clearing land for cultivation or for making an 

 improved pasture. The owner of this land intends to make an improved pasture of it, hence, when the 

 woods were deadened a few years ago some trees were left for shade. He will raise a cultivated crop on 

 it for one year, and in this way finish killing the sprouts and underbrush, after which a mixture of tame 

 grasses and clover will be sown. 



second winter the dead and fallen timber is again burned off, and 

 improved conditions provided for the third grazing season. After 

 the third season the native pasture ordinarily will not improve mate- 

 rially; practically all of the dead trees have fallen, and the land can 

 be placed in fair shape for breaking. About the fourth season the 

 land is broken, and a cultivated crop, corn usually, is planted. Fol- 

 lowing this crop a mixture of grass seed is sown broadcast, and har- 

 rowed in. Good results have followed from sowing 10 to 15 pounds 

 per acre of a mixture — white clover 1 pound, red clover 2 pounds, 

 orchard grass 5 pounds, and bluegrass 5 pounds. Under favorable 

 conditions, by the middle of the following summer these seedings 

 should furnish some pasture. 



