CHAPTER IX 

 CARE OF ESTABLISHED PASTURES 



Extirpation of Undesirable Species 



Necessity for After-Care. — Without after-care good pastures rapidly 

 depreciate in value. 



Methods of Extirpation. — While annual weeds may be eradicated by 

 frequent mowing, which prevents the maturing of seeds, and surface-rooting 

 perennials, like Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), can be torn up with 

 a short-toothed harrow, such deeply-penetrating species as Thistles, Docks, &o., 

 must, if possible, be removed with a spud or two-pronged lever. Hand- 

 weeding is, however, only effectual if undertaken early and while the noxious 

 plants are confined to local spots. Where labour is not available for hand- 

 pulling, the weeds must be cut when in full flower, the process being repeated 

 2 or 3 times until the plants are exhausted and destroyed. 



Breaking-up Pastures. — If a pasture has once become foul with the 

 seeds and roots of perennial weeds, no remedy remains but that of breaking 

 it up, and taking a course of cleansing crops before returning the land to 

 grass. The prevalence of Sedges (the genus Carex), Marsh thistle {Carduus 

 palustris) and similar moisture-loving species indicates the necessity of 

 drainage, liming and rotation under horse-hoe husbandry until all the weeds 

 have disappeared. 



The roots of couch and other perennial weeds must be collected into 

 heaps by hand after ploughing, to be burned conveniently, as the root-frag- 

 ments possess the power of vegetation. 



Methods of Improvement. — The surest method of overcoming weeds 

 is to ameliorate the physical condition of the land by thorough drainage, 

 ploughing and the liberal application of suitable fertilizers, especially of super- 

 phosphate. 



Such undesirable grasses as Crested dogstail which are rejected and allowed 

 to flower by stock become self-seeding, and consequently possess so great 

 advantage in the struggle for existence over those that are kept cropped by 

 animals as to enable them to predominate in the pastures where they occur, 

 because the better, closely-eaten species are dependent on their roots or 

 creeping stems for increase. The only method of replacing inferior by 

 desirable grasses is to gradually weaken the former by mowing them annually 

 when they are in full flower and beore they have matured seeds, and to after- 

 wards scatter the seeds of the latter over the pasture in early autumn. 



Spreading Droppings. — As the value of the droppings of stock is 



