Cultivation of Arable Land. Red Clover After-management of. 363 



ftri king point of view, by contrafting this with the confiimption of the fame fort of 

 crop in the field, by an equal number of the fame kinds of ftock : as in the time 

 five acres had been ufed in the former method, thirty had been confumed in the 

 latter, and the horfe part of the ftock left in much worfe condition. 



But befides the fuperiority of the practice of foiling this fort of crop in the 

 economy of food, it has the important advantage, as has been feen, of affording 

 much larger fupplies of manure, efpecially where the ftalls and fold-yards are 

 kept occafionally well bedded and cleaned up, as the converfion of the materials 

 proceeds, which muft be greatly expedited from the vaft increafe in the urinary, as 

 well as other difchargcs that mufl of neceffity take place in this mode of feeding. 



The great difference between feeding clovers off on the land and confuming 

 them in their green ftate in the manner juft mentioned is fuppofed by an able 

 \vriter,* to be this : &quot; the quick growth of this grafs, after mowing, (hades the 

 ground, and prevents the fun from exhaling the moifture of the land fo much as it 

 would if fed bare: confequently it continues to fpring with more vigour; and 

 the moment one crop is off, another begins to moot up. Whereas when cattle 

 feed it, they frequently deftroy almoft as much as they eat; and befides, bruife the 

 necks of the roots with their feet, which prevents the clover from fpringing fo 

 freely as it does after a clean cut by the fcythe. In hot weather, which is the 

 common feafon for feeding clover, the flies too are generally fo troublefome to the 

 cattle, that they are continually running from hedge to hedge to brufh them off; 

 by which it is inconceivable what injury they do to the crop. But when they are 

 fed in ftables and yards they are more in the (hade ; they thrive better ; and, at 

 the fame time, confume the whole of what is given them without wafte.&quot; 



Much of the fuccefs attending this practice without doubt depends on thefe cir- 

 cumftances ; but befides, the upper parts of the roots are lefs penetrated by moifture, 

 and fewer of the plants of courfe deftroyed. By proper attention to this crop a very 

 ufeful and abundant green food for different forts of live ftock may be provided 

 at an early period in the fpring, efpecially when the winters are not very fevere. 

 It is advifed by fome, on the poorer fort of foils, to have both the firft and fecond 

 crops of this plant to be eaten green upon the land by (heep and bullocks, being 

 mown and given them to feed upon.f 



In this way the cattle thrive better from their filling themfelves fooner, and hav 

 ing more reft; and there is no wafte. But in order to derive tne greateft poflible 



* -Mr. Kent. Middlefex Report, 



3 A 2 



