FATTENING OF STEERS IN NORTH CAROLINA. 5 



mixture of blue grass, red clover, and orchard grass, with some 

 timothy and redtop, or herd's grass, which is the common summer- 

 pasture mixture used in this part of the State. Most of the land was 

 unusually rolling, or exceedingly rough, with the deadened trees 

 still standing. 



WINTER PASTURES AND THEIR ESTABLISHMENT. 



The winter pastures used in these experiments were cut-over timber- 

 land which had been seeded to grass after all the merchantable saw 

 timber, chestnut wood, and acid and pulp wood were removed. 

 Much of this land was covered with the tree tops left from lumbering 

 and the natural undergrowth of bushes, and small trees. 



One method extensively used for getting the land seeded to grass 

 is to give some of the surrounding farmers free use of the land for two 

 years for growing corn, provided they will deaden all the large trees 

 and clear out the bushes and tree tops. The land is plowed very 

 shallow and the rows of corn run around the hills to prevent washing. 

 The average crop of corn so produced will range from 40 to 60 bushels 

 per acre. The land is not suited, however, for continuous cropping 

 because it is too inaccessible and cultivation is too expensive. 



When the corn is cultivated the last time the second year, a grass 

 mixture consisting of 15 pounds of orchard grass and 5 pounds of 

 blue grass per acre is sown. This seed is furnished by the owner of 

 the land and broadcasted through the corn. The grass will soon 

 produce a firm sod, sufficient to prevent washing of the land. The 

 orchard grass not only grows well on the steep mountain sides, but 

 it comes on earlier in the spring and lasts to a later date in the fall 

 than any other grass that can be used. 



The method of cultivating the land in corn before seeding has 

 proved very satisfactory, but it is becoming more difficult to lease 

 the land in this way because of the shortage and high price of farm 

 labor. A second method which has been used during the last tliree 

 years and which has proved to be better in several respects is as 

 follows : 



In the spring, before the timber begins to leaf out, the tracts of 

 land are burned over very thorouglily. If this is done at the right 

 time, most of the tree tops will be completely burned and the under- 

 growth and some of the trees will 1)e killed. After the ashes are cool, 

 the grass mixture is sown by hand and the larger trees are deadened. 

 The ashes soon cover the seed and the first rains beat them into the 

 ground. The land is neither plowed nor harrowed. It has been 

 found that the bushes, sprouts, and weeds which naturally spring up 

 can be kept down best by turning nn a few cattle soon after the grass 

 comes up. This keeps the land clean and the ])acking helps to make 

 abetter sod. 



