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MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



condition tliat the animals will feed more evenly over the entire 

 field. Animals are likely to feed where the grass is rather 

 short and tender, and leave the ranker growth. Third, drain 

 pastures well. This is often entirely neglected, and the parts of 

 the farm that are too wet to grow crops are left to pasture. 

 Fourth, top-dress permanent pastures with manure when con- 

 venient. Often corn stalks or straw scattered over the north 



Fig. 91. 



-Fattening Steers on Pasture. Feeding Clover Hay to sup- 

 plement THE Pasture. 



slopes when the land is broken will materially improve the 

 pasture. Another factor which often reduces the total yield of 

 a pasture is the fact that the grass is pastured too early in the 

 spring, which hinders the growth of the young plants before they 

 get a good start, whereas if they were left a week longer, they 

 would return a much greater total yield. Pastures thus treated 

 will increase in value with age, as has been practically demon- 

 strated, as far east as Central New York and as far west as 



