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• Pastureland: Land usually dominated by grasses that is primarily grazed by livestk is <br />considered pastureland. Occasional mechanical harvest may occur at times during the growing <br />season to utilize excess growth. Fields are sustained in permanent grass, or grass /legume mix <br />indefxuitely. The level of management is less than hayland, and pasturelands are .rarely disturbed <br />with tillage due to poor soil conditions such as shallowness, excessive numbers of rocks, <br />steepness, high water tables, etc. <br />The important thing to remember is that cropland and hayland are usually established on the <br />better soils; those soils that are deep (at a minimum, three to four feet to bedrock), well drained, <br />reasonably level and on moderate slopes, and containing few rocks.. In the San Miguel Soil <br />Survey area, the United States Department of Agriculture has identified soils that meet certain . <br />criteria as "Prime Farmland." The following soil map units from the San Miguel Soil Survey are <br />considered Prime Farmland (if irrigated) and may be found in the vicinity of the New Horizon <br />Mine #2: <br />Soil Name <br />Abra loam, 1 to 3 <br />2 Abra loam, 3 to 6 percent sic <br />14 Barx fine sandy loam, 1 to 3 <br />15 Barx fine sandy loam, 3 to 6 <br />Some producers in the area grow straight alfalfa hay as a cash crop or to feed to their livestock in <br />the winter. The advantage of straight alfalfa hay is that it is very high protein forage for <br />livestock. This is an intensively managed'crop and is usually grown on one the above mentioned <br />"Prime Farmland soils. <br />Prior to planting alfalfa the soil is well prepared. This will involve tillage, land leveling, rock <br />picking, weed control, fertilizing, etc. In the spring the alfalfa crop is planted, normally with a <br />companion crop of oats, and irrigated well. In the Nucla area, with good management, alfalfa <br />will persist and produce well for seven to ten years, after which production usually declines due <br />to the natural increase of grass and weed competition. It is a common husbandry practice for <br />producers to then plow under the alfalfa and plant small grains (and possibly corn) for a year or <br />two before replanting alfalfa. (Alfalfa produces an autotoxicity that prevents interseeding alfalfa <br />into alfalfa, or following an alfalfa crop immediately with another alfalfa crop, which is why <br />small grains are included in the crop rotation). <br />The bottom line here is that a clear dish <br />"Cro' land/Ha land" and "Pastureland" Yes, it is common in the Nucla area for many fields <br />dolxutate y grass to be hayed in early summer, followed by livestock grazing - of regrowth <br />later i the year, so the lines seem to blur. But those fields that are actively managed for hay <br />and/or crop production need to be recognized for their unique value as "Cropland," and <br />preserved, or reclaimed, as such. <br />Page 7. <br />A recommended1ime to seed both dryland and irrigated, land in our area is July 15 — Sept. 15, <br />due to the benefit of the monsoonal rains that commonly occur. <br />