. Bulletin - Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. Agriculture -- Massachusetts. 8 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 439 Clearing Shrubs and Bushes Land that had reverted to a cover of bushes and shrubs was cleared for pasture and crops in various areas in Massachusetts. Much of this acreage had been tillable cropland and pasture but had been abandoned when prices of farm products were low in the early 1930's. Higher prices for farm products, par- ticularly milk and potatoes, have encouraged the reclamation of this land for hay, pasture, and crops. In one instance pasture land which h
. Bulletin - Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. Agriculture -- Massachusetts. 8 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 439 Clearing Shrubs and Bushes Land that had reverted to a cover of bushes and shrubs was cleared for pasture and crops in various areas in Massachusetts. Much of this acreage had been tillable cropland and pasture but had been abandoned when prices of farm products were low in the early 1930's. Higher prices for farm products, par- ticularly milk and potatoes, have encouraged the reclamation of this land for hay, pasture, and crops. In one instance pasture land which had reverted to juniper, hardhack, sheep laurel, and other shrubs was cleared with a medium-sized bulldozer at the rate of one acre per eight-hour day. Many boulders were pushed out as well as a few small trees on this stony loam soil. Debris was pushed into a swamp and stones were piled in a row as the base for l road to a woodlot. This land was too stony to be plowed so the seedbed was prepared by repeated harrowings. Roots, sticks, and stones were picked up between harrowings and then the land was limed, fertilized, and seeded with e mixture of Ladino clover and grass. The cash costs for the bulldozer were about $45 per acre and additional costs for labor, seed, fertilizer, and lime added another $45 so that an improved seeded pasture was obtained for about $90 per Figure 3. Seeded Improved Pasture (right) Was Made from Rougli Land (left) by Bog Harrow Treatment. In other worn-out pastures which had reverted to shrubs and bushes, the land was improved by repeated use of a bog harrow. Juniper and other large shrubs were pulled with a tractor, chain, and special type of hook. In areas relatively free cf stones the cover was cut with a heavy-dut}^ mower before harrowing. Clearing of hardhack and sheep laurel cover with a bog harrow has been found satisfactory because the cover can be disked under and topsoil is not removed. Another method consisted of harrowing alder swam
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