PASTURES AND GRAZING THEM BY SHEEP 175 



are more injured with the frost. Among these are orchard 

 grass and Russian brome. 



In some areas the pasturing of meadows, especially 

 those newly sown with clover, is allowable, as in some 

 parts of Illinois and Iowa. In other areas, and these are 

 greatly in the majority, such grazing would be most de- 

 structive to the meadows. 



On the western ranges the native grasses, especially 

 those of the Buffalo species, have very high adaptation 

 for winter grazing. Where sheep can find enough of these 

 they will come through the winter in good form. The 

 damage from such grazing lies in the sudden storms that 

 arise in winter in much of the range country, which makes 

 it unsafe to allow the sheep to graze far away from the 

 winter quarters. This danger can be partially met by 

 fencing in pastures not distant from the sheds and saving 

 them specially for such grazing. But with very large 

 flocks this is not entirely practicable, owing to the very 

 large amount of the grazing that would be required. 

 These grasses cure admirably on the ground, as the cur- 

 ing is brought about by lack of moisture in the absence 

 of frost. In some of the western mountain valleys, also, 

 good winter grazing may be furnished by growing alfalfa, 

 alsike and other clover, and some of the cultivated grasses, 

 in admixture. The alfalfa is so lacking in succulence 

 then that the danger from bloat is practically eliminated. 



In the southern states the list of grasses suitable for 

 winter grazing is not so large as in the North. Bermuda, 

 the standard grass of the far South, does not furnish graz- 

 ing in winter, as it is so easily killed by frost. Bur clover 

 may be made to serve a good purpose and each locality 

 has some native grasses adapted to its needs, that so far 

 may furnish grazing. But the South has highest adapta- 

 tion for furnishing supplementary winter grazing from 

 grain of various kinds and plants of the Brassica family. 

 These include winter rye, winter oats, vetches and rape. 



