12 
Farmers' Bulletin 1181. 
known as the Illinois post.^ Eight inches from the foot there is a 
branch at right angles to the post. This branch runs out 6 or 8 
inches and turns downward parallel with the post itself. This post 
can be set readily by pressing on the branch with the foot. The shape 
of the bottom part gives bracing enough to prevent pushing over by 
the sheep. The bottom of the fence is kept in place by passing the 
post between two of the lower wires. The top wire lies in a groove 
made in the top of the post. 
EFFECT ON THE LAND. 
An increase of 100 per cent in the amount of pasturage produced 
has been obtained during four years' use of 30 acres of land for tem- 
porary pasture experiments described in this bulletin. In 1916 this 
30-acre field used exclusively in growing temporary pasture crops 
grazed by sheep carried 6 yearling ewes and 22 2-year-old ewes with 
24 lambs. They were in rather low condition at the close of the pas- 
ture season. In 1919 the same land furnished good grazing for 70 
eAves and 66 lambs for 200 days and a considerable quantity of un- 
used feed was plowed under. 
This field is a low-lying, flat piece of land decidedly below average 
fertility. The results obtained are far below what would be secured 
on many farms, and demonstrates the advantages and general style 
of practicing such a system rather than maximum quantity of feed 
which can be produced. The soil is a heavy, silty clay, parts of 
Avhich, even after tile draining, are at times too wet for plowing in 
summer months. It had been badly run down by cropping without 
manure, as is shown by the poor returns in 1916, a season of average 
rainfall. The improvement in soil condition has been due to the 
manure left distributed upon the land by the sheep, to the plowing 
in of unused parts of crops, and to other beneficial effects of legume 
crops, soy beans in particular. In order to get satisfactory crops of 
cowpeas and soy beans 40 tons of ground limestone and 2 tons of acid 
phosphate in all were applied to 25 acres of the field in the fall of 
1916 and in 1917. During the last three seasons 15 acres also received 
a single application of manure at the rate of 10 tons of fresh manure 
per acre. 
The soil is too heavy to be benefited by trampling ; in fact, holding 
the sheep on the lots in wet times has hafl a harmful effect. The 
sheep were kept night and day upon the crop in use without access to 
any other pasturage. Shade and water were provided in each lot. 
5 The Illinois post and other kinds of equipment for sheep raisers are illustrated and 
described in Farmers' Bulletin 810, " Equipment for Farm Sheep Raising." 
