lyd On th3 Soiling of Eorfes and Cattle. May 



fion of air before the giafs was cut or removed. When depaf- 

 tiired, it is obvious, that none of thefe things can happen. If the 

 grafs was eaten any thing bare in the beginning of the feafon, its 

 future growth mull be Hopped by the drought which ufually 

 prevails in the early part of fummer ; and when the ground is 

 not fully covered with plants, the benefit of the grazing fyltem, 

 towards the improvement of land, is only partiaUy experienced. 

 Bur the chief benefit of foiling may be coniidered as arifing 

 from the immenfe quantity of fine dung which would thereby be 

 accumulated, and which might be returned to the ground in the 

 fucceeding feafon, after being properly fermented and prepared. 

 In all corn farms, at leait thole of clay foils, it is a work of 

 great difficulty to rot the Ihaw thereon produced, and much of 

 it is mifapplicd, in confequence of Inch foils being naturally unfit 

 for railing green winter-crops. A fenfe of this has induced many 

 farmers to attempt turnips in fituations not qualified for raifing 

 rhem with j)rofit ; but even thefe attempts, though in fome re- 

 fpc6fs ufeful, by converting a part of tlie ft raw into dung, do not 

 fullv anfwer the intended purpofe. The fuperfluity which re- 

 mains after the turnip feafon is over (and this upon corn farms 

 often exceeds a third of the crop) is feldom ufed in a beneficial 

 way. If Hacked in the yard, it is bleaciied and dried by the fun 

 and wind, and when lifed in the next feafon, is found to be unfit 

 for the fupport of animds, and diverted of the powers which it 

 originally poileiTed. If, however, a numerous ftock of cattle 

 were kept either in the houfe, or in feparate divifions of the 

 fold-yard, all the ftraw thralhed in the fummer months might be 

 immediately converted into dung, the quality of which would be 

 equal, if not fuperior, to what is made from turnips confumed at 

 the ftakc. 



To carry on this mode of feeding in a regular way, it would 

 be necelTary to have a confiderable quantity of tares fown at dif- 

 ferent times, fo as the interval betwixt the firft and fecond crop 

 of clover might be filled up. A ftack of hay would alfo be nc- 

 ceffiiry, in the event of bad w^eather fetting in, or circumilances 

 occurring to prevent a regular fupply of green food. 



From conlidering the time taken to cut and bring home grafs 

 for my farm horles, I £m led to think, that one man and a boy, 

 with a finglc horfe cart, would be able to fupply thirty head of 

 ordinary lized cattle with cut grafs, if the crop was middling 

 good, fay one that would yield two hundred Hone of hay per acre, 

 and the dillance of tlie field from the home ftcad not exceeding- 

 half a mile. If the beafis were tied to a Itakc, it would require 

 an additional hand to litter and clenn them ; but 1 am convinced 

 that in fmall fold yards, well fupplied with water, and provided 

 with a Ihadc to which the animali might retire in a hot funny 



dav. 



