Though nearly as much land in Iowa is devoted to pasture as to corn, pastures have received very little thought or attention. The reasons why pastures have been given so little consideration are: (1) the lower per acre returns from pasture than from corn, (2) the fact that pasture is more nearly a fixed element in the business, and (3) the somewhat prevalent belief that little or nothing worth the cost can be done to pastures to make them more productive. Pasture is important, however, because it supplies a type of feed which is essential for livestock, and enables the farmer to get a higher return from some rough areas than could be obtained from cultivated crops. Sometimes pasture helps to prevent erosion.