PASTURES AND GRAZING THEM BY SHEEP 167 



lowed to drink from stagnant pools in the summer sea- 

 son, nor should they be allowed to feed upon the rank, 

 coarse herbage that is frequently found growing around 

 the borders of these, and also on land that during por- 

 tions of the year is saturated with water. Sheep thus 

 grazed are much liable to be preyed upon by parasites 

 which frequently abound where such conditions exist, and 

 yet in northern areas there are basins and small lakes 

 which do not incur such hazard; as, for instance, many 

 of those found in the park area of Minnesota. But in 

 these the waters, for various reasons, remain clear, and 

 thej' do not grow sedge, aquatic plants or coarse grasses 

 around their borders. 



Extensive pastures are better adapted relatively for 

 being grazed by sheep than by cattle, as they usually 

 furnish a greater variety of herbage gratifying to sheep 

 than pastures not extensive, and they give more oppor- 

 tunity for indulgence in the roaming habit while being 

 grazed. Sheep will also thrive better relatively on rugged 

 and sparse pastures than cattle, as, because of their 

 greater lightness of body, they gather their food with less 

 effort. An occasional change of pastures is also, as a 

 rule, helpful to sheep. 



Grass pastures permanent in character — Grass pas- 

 tures for sheep permanent in character are composed, 

 first, of grasses that are indigenous to the locality, or, if 

 introduced, highly adapted to the conditions ; and, second, 

 grasses composed of mixtures which are sown to pro- 

 duce grazing for long periods. 



Prominent among the former are grasses that grow on 

 unbroken areas without being sown by man after the 

 forest has been cut away on the unbroken prairie and on 

 the western ranges. Kentucky blue grass is by far the 

 most prominent and valuable of the grasses that grow 

 thus in forest areas, and it promises to cover the larger 

 portion of the cultivated area of the prairie in the future 

 not distant. It has the unique quality of being able to 



