FARMS. 167 



profit. He believes that a reduced and partially worn out farm 

 — supposing the land to be naturally good — could be brought 

 into prime order in five years, without extra outlay of money 

 for manure, by the use of green fodder in connection with the 

 raising and keeping of pigs ;* not fattening them, but selling 

 at the age of four or five months. His own success certainly 

 offers great encouragement. He traces it chiefly to making a 

 large quantity of manure ; large, that is, in proportion to the 

 size of his farm, which is small. Most of his cultivated land is 

 in grass. He keeps it down from eight to ten years, practising 

 top-grassing. 



Now we naturally entertain great respect for a man who 

 makes money by his business, and improves his farm at the 

 same time. However theoretically wrong his opinion may 

 appear, it is justified by the results of the practice that grows 

 directly out of it. When by following out his idea, he increases 

 the value of his land and puts money into his pocket for a series 

 of years, we must believe in such infallible logic. 



There is not a town in the county that does not show an 

 increased growth of carrots, or ruta bagas, as supplementary 

 articles of food for cattle. They are, perhaps, more desirable 

 than common, in consequence of the damage done to the 

 quality of the grass by the heavy rains, especially in the mead- 

 ows, where much was lost and all injured. May it not be 

 questioned, whether hay is not generally more impaired in 

 value by standing too long, than when cut early ? Be this as 

 it max, I'oots form a valuable addition to the food of cattle, 

 both as nutriment and as an alterative in promoting health. 

 No one article of dry food contains the variety of nutritive 

 principles required by the constitutions of cattle. For work- 

 ing horses, hay distends the stomach too much, and makes 



* Mr. D. finds tliat one breeding sow will turn over and thorouglily mix 

 with the droppings of cattle, one ox-cart load of mud or loam per week, 

 making the best of top-dressing for grass. This is his practice, and he manu- 

 factures in this way, great quantities of manure to keep his mowing lands in 

 the most productive state. When we consider that the first want upon a farm 

 is that of manure, and that very few farmers supply as much they might — 

 when we remember what a waste there often is of privy manure, of the drain- 

 ings of the sink, of the leaves and stalks of plants, we should be stimulated 

 by every such example as the one before us, to study the strictest economy in 

 the production and application of manure. 



