390 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



acreage, under the old method of pasturing and rotation of crops. 

 The aspect at the close of the year, to which we have referred, was 

 not a cheerful one, interest on mortgage was due, taxes were to be 

 paid, and the laborer looked for his wages. 



Amidst these gloomy surroundings, it was time for something to 

 be done to bring relief, either dispose of the property at a serious 

 loss, or adopt a new method. 



Book farming as it is called, always produced a smile when sug- 

 gested, and any attempt made to follow scientific instruction in 

 growing crops and breeding cattle, was looked upon with discredit. 



The writer being very fond of natural science, when at College, 

 turned to his library, drew from it a book on organic chemistry, by 

 Sir John Leibig, and in a foot note, was directed to the Agricultural 

 Colleges and Experiment Stations established over Europe, and a 

 few in the United States, and it is to these few, that the credit is 

 due, for what the fifteen acre farm is to-day. The information glean- 

 ed from the best farm papers and agricultural bulletins, radically, 

 changed the system of conducting the scanty acres. In Europe we 

 found the small farm wa® the rule, in America the exception. 



Along with other literature, it was our good fortune to come into 

 possession of De Quincy's book on soiling, and with a supply of 

 books, such as has been mentioned, a course of study and industry, 

 began anew on the farm. The plan of soiling the dairy cattle was 

 adopted, over against the extravagant method of pasture. It was 

 conducted carefully and observingly, but not with the good results 

 that was claimed for it. 



The production of milk from crops grown and fed in the stall were 

 not equal to the same animal's yield when on pasture. But the 

 saving of manure by the soiling system was a marked advantage. 

 Some one has said that no one runs deeper than he plows, and the 

 eighteen years experience in soiling suggest that no one plows w'ider 

 that the land is manured. 



It was about this time that the balanced ration of Wolf was being 

 discussed in the journals and agricultural magazines, and gave the 

 writer a great deal of information that was entirely new on the feed- 

 ing of a dairy animal for profit. The adopting of the balanced ration 

 by Wolf, as a guide, and not as an absolute mechanical rule, made 

 the soiling system a real success. 



To carry on the soiling system, many changes were introduced into 

 the dairy barn for the comfort of the dairy animals. Cement floors, 

 additional windows, ventilators, platform stalls, well made water- 

 tight gutters, with cement bottoms, so as to retain all the manure 

 possible, bedding cut one quarter inch, water introduced direct into 

 the dairy barn, convenient feed spouts and all green and dry forage 

 run through a cutter and dropped down into feeding passageway. 



