FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZARKS. 37 
more intensively used for pasture than formerly, through fencing and 
deadening the growth on woodland areas. 
In converting the woodland areas into pasture the first step is 
killing, or, as it is commonly expressed, "deadening,'' the large trees 
and cutting out the underbrush. Where the salable timber has not 
all been removed, enough tie timber may be utilized to offset a part 
or all of the cost. The usual method of deadening the trees is to 
girdle them. Trees of less than 3 inches in diameter are cut down. 
After deadening the standing timber and cutting off the smaller 
trees the problem is largely one of controlling the growth of under- 
brush. This situation is expressed by the local phrase, "There are 
more trees under the ground than above it." The farmers have 
found it desirable to deaden the trees during the spring or early 
summer, as the trees die sooner and more surely, and as girdling 
2 to 4 feet above the ground and chopping off the smaller trees at 
this height reduces the sprouting from the roots. For best results 
the sprouts should be cut two or three times yearly, depending upon 
the density of the growth, sometimes for four or five years in succes- 
sion, though the amount of work involved decreases each year. 
Another practice useful in ridding this land of sprouts, and one 
which eliminates the greater part of the labor, is to pasture goats 
on it. Since their natural food is leaves and tender sprouts, goats 
find sufficient forage on the "deadened off" area to thrive and at the 
same time keep these sprouts from making growth. However, 
experience has shown that for best results in reducing sprouts the 
goats should not have access to a great amount of grass. If grass 
is obtainable goats will not eat the sprouts off thoroughly. Some 
farmers separate the brush areas from the pastures, and alternate 
the goats from one to the other during the growing season. In this 
way the goats are kept in better condition, while aiding materially 
in brush control. (See fig. 14.) This method is desirable because 
the goats can be used as a source of profit. There are relatively few 
goats in the territory, and as their value is now clearly realized they 
can be bought only with difficulty. The general opinion in the region 
was that if goats pasture such land for two seasons, the sprouts would 
be very effectively killed, and very little subsequent work required 
to keep the growth down entirely. Goats require rather substantial 
fencing for the most satisfactory results. 
Considerable variation exists in the method used in getting a good 
stand of grass on these lands. Some areas afford sufficient native 
grass pasture to be of value without the addition of tame grass. 
However, the sowing of tame grasses has been found desirable. Good 
pastures have been established both with and without cultivation 
before seeding. 
