CLIPPING PASTURES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 3241, 11 December 1930, Page 2

CLIPPING PASTURES.

HINTS TO GRAZIERS.

Investigations have led to the conclusion that clipping pastures that have not been fully stocked is a good practice. In exceptional years, where the land is rich and not enough animals ar carried to eat the grass reasonably close, it is not uncommon for a certain percentage of the plants to go to seed. It is the tendency of all plants to die when the seeds are formed. One of the great principles of life is to reproduce and die. Clipping the pasture just before blooming will pei’mit new grass shoots to appear. These shoots are richer in protein, and more palatable and digestible. Everyone knows that if pastures are permitted to go to seed, a high percentage of the grass will not be eaten, and they become poor sources of a feed supply for the herd. We suggest, remarks an American newspaper, that if clipping the entire pasture does not seem practical, a small area be clipped and then observe how the cows will take to this part of the pasture rather than to grass on the part that has gone to seed. The ripening of the plant not only tends to cause it to die, but to lock up the nourishment in the stem, making it less digestible and reducing the percentage of protein. Timothy provides a good pasture, but made into hay is one of our poorest cow feeds. Tender pasture grass is very rich in protein and clipping tends to keep the pasture in the best condition for the production of milk. It is better to do this before grasses bloom.