SOILING CATTLE. 



STATEMENT OF R. L. PELL, OF PELHAM FARM, ULSTER COUNTV. 



I have soiled five cows for the space of one year, and for three 

 months have kept a strict account of their milk, food, &c. The ani- 

 mals are grade Durham^, and calved early in April. During the first 

 two weeks of May, they were fed on old hay and cut straw. Their 

 milk was measured, and averaged eight quarts each per day. The 

 last two weeks in May they received each eight quarts of wheat bran 

 mixed with water, and as much hay as they could eat three times a 

 day; during which time their daily average wa^ twelve quarts each. 



On the first of June, they were fed eight quarts each of raw cut 

 potatoes and clover grass cut from the sides of the roads — this food 

 v/as continued for one week : milk averaged sixteen quarts. The 

 second week in June, they were fed eight quarts of wheat bran once 

 a day each, and green grass from the road side of nO value, and_the 

 average was still sixteen quarts. 



Third week in June continued the same food, and the average was 

 the same. Fourth week, fed seven quarts of wheat bran and one 

 quart of corn meal mixed together with water, and grass ; they ave- 

 raged sixteen quarts. First week in July, fed clover and timothy 

 grass cut from the field, partially ripe, without bran, and the cows 

 fell off to an average of twelve quarts each. Second week in July, 

 fed three cart loads of green corn stalks, which had been sown broad- 

 cast for the purpose, and" eight quarts of wheat bran, and they averag- 

 ed ten quarts. Third week in July, continued the same food, and 

 the average was the same — ten quarts each per day. 



Fourth week in July and the first week in August, fed them dry 

 hay cut in 1843, together with the usual quantity of bran, eight quarts, 

 and their milk increased to an average of twelve quarts. The second, 

 third, and fourth weeks in August, they were fed on green corn stalks 

 without bran, and the general average was nine quarts daily. In 

 1843, the same cows were pastured — they had a scope of thirty acres 

 divided into three lots, and were changed constantly ; had a sufficient 

 quantity of fine spring water, and were fed, and notwithstanding they 

 only averaged eight quarts of milk each daily from May to Septem- 

 ber, — and at the end of summer, I had not ten loads of manure in my 

 yard. On the 10th of Ma:y this year, I carted from my yard two 

 hundred and thirty loads, and on the 10th of November, two hundred 

 and thirty-six^ averaging thirty bushels to the load. During the sum- 

 mer, large quantities of leaves, weeds, straw, &c., was daily thrown 

 into the yard, and occasionally covered with charcoal dust. Each cow 



