51(7 Cultivation of Graft Land Dairying* Varying of Food w/tfut* 



rniddlc-fized cow will confcmefrom one to two hundred pounds in a day, but 

 fcventy is fuppofed as much with ftraw as can be paid for by the produce*. la 

 Mr. Dodfworth s trials, a cow of fifty ftone was found to eat twelve ftone of this, 

 fort of food in the fame time. An extent of this kind of crop proportioned to 

 the dairy fhould always be provided*. The only objection to turnips as food for 

 milch cows is their impairing the flavour of the butter : but they are a fort of 

 food that affords much milk; and without this, or the preceding green food, a 

 large dairy cannot perhaps befupported to much profit. A larger weight of this 

 food than the former is confumed in the fame timet. 



Carrots and potatoes are very advantageous forts of food for cows where they are 

 raifed in great abundance; but even in fuch cafes they can only be made ufe of 

 with profit as a feed once or twice in a day with other forts of food. It is out of 

 the queftion that a cow could pay for being kept wholly on them. Cole, as being 

 fed offin the field, can only be had recourfe to on the firm dry foils ;. but in 

 fuch fituations it is a very profitable crop applied in this way&amp;gt; efpecially when 

 ufed in fucceffion to turnips in the fpring months^. Malt-grains &amp;gt; where they car* 

 be had in plenty, are ufeful with other forts of food, as producing a large propor 

 tion of thin milk. They are confequentiy better for the purpofes of the milkman 

 than the dairy-farmer. 



Whatever kinds of green or fucculent food may be ufed in the way of feeding 

 dairy cows, experience has mown that great advantage may be derived from vary 

 ing it as much as pofllbleji, probably on the phyiiological principle that the novelty 

 of ftimulus is the moil powerful in exciting the action and promoting the fecre- 

 tions of the fyftenru The ufe of day and night paftures, which is a method em 

 ployed in fome diftricts, may alfo partly depend on this principle, and partly on 

 that of better made and water^f. 



In the ftocking of pafttires with cows it fhould always be done according to 

 their goodnefs t fuch grafs lands as afford in rent, tithe, and taxes, twenty-feven 

 r eight {hillings, may fupport during the fummer feafon in the proportion of a 

 cow of fifty ftones to an acre and a half with a few flieep. But in fuch as are 

 not worth more than twenty (hillings* one cow to tw acres may be often fully 

 Sufficient. 



* Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXXIL. + Young s Six- Months Tour, vol.. If. J Ibid, 

 ^ Ibid, jj Wedge s Agricultural Report of Cheihixe, 4to. p. 59- M Ibid, 



