142 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Cattle, it is true, like a change of food ; but tliiH change should consist in 

 the variety? of grasses, in the same pasture, and not in different fields."' 



To provide for the almost certain deterioration of pastures dur- 

 ing the dry weather of July and August, there should be a good 

 supply of succulent food in reserve, to be cut as required. Clover 

 and oats furnish excellent green food ; but the cheapest, and on 

 the whole the best mode, usually is fodder corn ; Southern or 

 sweet corn, sown closely in drills or broadcast, on land in good 

 condition ; an acre to every eight or ten cows. If not all re- 

 quired during summer and autumn, it furnishes an excellent 

 winter fodder. 



Productive cows, if not freely supplied at this season, are apt to 

 run d 'Wn, and it will be found both easier and cheaper to maintain 

 condition than to restore it after being lost. Besides, if allowed 

 to shrink much in their flow of milk at this season, generous feed- 

 ing subsequently, especially if the cow be with calf, will tend 

 rather to lay on flesh than to restore the secretion of milk. It 

 will be found good economy to lay in a large store of roots for 

 winter feeding. For this purpose the carrot and mangold ofier 

 many advantages. The first is the more nutritious, and on soils 

 adapted to it, and with clean and rich culture, is easily grown. 

 It is good from autumn to spring. The mangold succeeds better 

 on clayey loams, and within reach of sea breezes ; or if in the inte- 

 rior, the land should have a dressing of salt some weeks before 

 sowing the seed. These keep late, and are best during winter and 

 spring. If used earlier, they are liable to produce scouring. With 

 good management and in a fair season the equivalent of from six 

 to ten tons of hay can be grown on an acre. Turnips give more 

 or less flavor to milk, but to cows not in milk they may be fed to 

 advantage. If much rough or coarse fodder is to be used, roots 

 are indispensable, and they are of great assistance even with good 

 hay. In quantities not exceeding a peck per day, per head, they 

 are of considerably greater value than the mere amount of nutri- 

 ment they contain ; inasmuch as they assist the digestive process, 

 and enable the animal to obtain more nourishment from the other 

 fodder consumed than they otherwise would do. When fed out 

 more freely we must expect benefit only in proportion to their nu- 

 tritive matter, but this alone is sufficient to warrant their extensive 

 cultivation ; and when their great efficacy in preserving the health 

 and condition of animals is considered, the neglect to supply them 



