184 Dairy Management. 



this produce of natural grass does not compare unfavourably with 

 a root crop. One ton of well-gotten hay is, however, superior to 

 6 tons of Swedes, on account of its greater quantity of oil, which 

 is without doubt one of the most valuable elements of food. 



The meadows on which this produce is grown are on strong 

 clay, which before draining yielded but a scanty herbage, inter- 

 spersed with rushes, and but a light crop of hay late in July. 



The following is my treatment of my permanent pastures, 

 which are heavily stocked during the summer season. The 

 home pasture, of barely 15 acres, carries my 20 milk cows during 

 the day. They are housed during the night. This clearing the 

 pastures by night has in some degree the effect of a change of 

 pasture, and prevents their lying so much on the grass they eat. 

 In addition to the 20 milk cows, 20 CAves with their lambs graze 

 and fatten on this home pasture of 15 acres. These ewes are 

 supplied with J lb. of rape-cake each per day. It will be 

 observed that the dung from the cows is likewise enriched 

 by the extra food given to the cows in stall. Several times 

 during the season a labourer is sent round the pastures to spread 

 about the dung : for this operation I prefer wet weather. My 

 other pastures are also rich feeding pastures, and carry a beast 

 and an ewe with her lambs per acre. During July and August 

 the coarse tufts of grass in the pastures are mown and carried 

 home for fodder for my horses. I prefer this pasture grass for 

 horses to that from aftermath, which is too relaxing. These 

 pasture mowings more than suffice for the bulky food for 

 lour or five horses during July and August. The surplus is 

 partly eaten by the cattle, the remainder being converted into hay, 

 and mixed with cut straw for steaming. After this mowing of 

 the tufts, the pastures assume the appearance of aftermath, and 

 the animals graze with appetite over the whole. Late in autumn 

 and early in spring the ewes are continued on these pastures, 

 which they graze quite close. They are housed during severe 

 weather and at night on boarded floors, and turned on the pas- 

 tures during the day through winter in fine weather. 



To these frequent cuttings of my meadows, and close grazing 

 of my pastures, I am in some degree indebted for the excellent 

 quality of their produce. 



My successful use of rape-cake as food has caused my atten- 

 tion to be given to the cultivation of the green rape plant for 

 fodder, of which I produce two crops during the year. The 

 sowing for one is made towards the close of June or early in 

 July, after early potatoes, or on other vacant ground, enriched 

 with the fresh excrement from my cattle. The produce from 

 this sowing is cut towards the close of September, in October, 

 and early in November. To ascertain the quantity, I measured 

 out 400 square yards, which was cut in dry weather ; the produce 



