362 Cultivation of Arable Land. Red Clover After-management of. 



benefit may be produced by the practice of cutting the crops green occafionally, as 

 they attain a fufficient growth, and conveying them when wanted to the horfcs or 

 other cattle in the ftubles and fold-yards, in order to their being confumed in the 

 Halls. It is contended, by an experienced agricultor, that in this manner it will 

 certainly fupport more than twice the flock it would do if fed off upon the ground 

 where it grew; and the additional quantity of manure that will by this method 

 be made in the ftables and yards, if they are kept well littered with any fort of draw, 

 or even rufhes or fern, will fully compenfate the farmer for his expence in cutting 

 and bringing the clover into the yards.* 



It is a method which experience in many parts of the kingdom has proved to be 

 of the greateft advantage, efpecially where the bufinefs is not upon too extenfivea 

 fcale ; but in large concerns it is, perhaps, impoflible to attend to it fo fully as 

 may be necefTary for deriving the greatefl benefit from it. 



The refult of an experiment ftated by a writer of confiderable accuracy, however, 

 Ihows, that even on an extenfive fcale it is a practice which is attended with vaft 

 advantage.-}- In this trial feven acres of clover cut green were found to be fuf 

 ficient for twenty horfes, feven cows, five calves, and five pigs, for the period of 

 feventeen weeks from the middle of May. They were fed in the ftable and rick- 

 yard, being taken twice in the day to water, and the horfes had neither hay or 

 corn.J The great fuperiority and utility of this practice is exhibited in a more 



* Kent s Hints. t Young s Eaftern Tour, Vol. II. p. 147. 



J In calculating the value of the crop, it is remarked that the horfes could not have been kept 

 equally well for lefs than eight-pence a day ; but as the ufual price at which the} are taken in at in that 

 diftrict is two {hillings andfixpence the week, it may be better to take that as the principle of calcula 

 tion. 



. s. d. 



20 Horses 17 weeks, at 2s. 6d. per week 42 10 



7 Cows ditto, at 2s. 6d. per week - 14 17 6 



5 Calves ditto, at Is. 6d. per week - 676 



5 Pigs ditto, at - 000 



63 15 



Or per acre 921 



The quantity of dung raifed by the above ftock is fuppofed to be from four to five hundred loads, 

 which is eftiraated at 2s. 6d. per load. 



The expenfe in labour for cutting and conveying the food to the flack is not charged ; which ren 

 ders the experiment in feme meafure incomplete. The benefit of the practice is, however, fully ciia- 

 Uifhed, 



