—_— 
‘ ' 
15 
Supplementary Feed.—It often happens that a drought occurs in the 
summer or fall, in which the pastures are dried and parched so that the 
cattle fail to get a sufficient amount of feed. It is, therefore, the prac- 
tice of careful and provident farmers to have a tract of land sown to 
some kind of fodder, which may be drawn upon to supply the deficiency 
of pasturage, and not only to keep the animals from suffering, but to 
keep them also in a growing condition. Corn sown broadcast or in 
close drills, or sorghum sown in like manner, are some of the best 
grasses for this purpose. 
Some varieties of sweet corn, combining earliness and productiveness 
or large size, will be better than common field corn, especially to keep 
up the supply of milk from cows. 
Hungarian grass and millet make excellent fodder crops. They are - 
both considered to be but varieties of the same species, and there is 
practically little difference between them. If sowed on tolerably rich 
ground they will produce sometimes a very large yield of grass. They 
are of rapid growth, and are frequently ready to be cut two months 
from the time of sowing. They generally produce an abundance of nu- 
tritious seeds, on account of which cattle thrive better on them than on 
corn fodder. Beets and prickly comfrey are also recommended as fod- 
der plants in some localities. 
The pastures may also often be relieved by turning stock on to 
stubble after harvest. 
Humanity dictates that a man should not keep any more stock than 
he can under ordinary circumstances care for and give sufficient feed. 
But a provident and good manager will be enabled safely to keep a 
much larger number than a man who is shiftless and careless. He will 
do this by making provision for casualties and probable contingencies. 
It is much better and more profitable to have a surplus of feed than to 
have a deficiency. 
Kind of Grasses for Meadows and Pastures.—In this country there has 
been very little variety in the kinds of grasses cultivated, the range 
being generally Timothy, blue grass or June grass, orchard grass, and 
redtop, usualy combined more or les# with red or white clover. 
Farmers are influenced somewhat by the markets they supply. The 
most popular hay inthe markets of the great cities is Timothy, and 
meadows of this grass alone are very common, and when well managed 
are very satisfactory and profitable. It isalso very common to combine 
Timothy with red clover in various proportions. 
In low, wet meadows, particularly in New England, redtop is con- 
siderably employed, and it is a common constituent of pastures in all 
the Northern States. 
In England, great attention has been given to combining several 
kinds of grasses in meadows, and it is claimed that the practice is 
Yetter for the land and gives a larger yield than when one variety only 
-, 1S employed. By using a mixture the ground may often be more uni- 
