Cultivation of Grafs- Land. Soiling Litter effential In. 



neceffity for the ufe of common cut grafs, though this may be employed if there 

 fhould be occafion. 



On the rrode of conducting thebufinefs of foddering the animals in this prac 

 tice a great deal depends. One great object is never to fufTer them to have toomuch 

 at once, as when this is the cafe, from the heat of the feafon, it quickly takes on a 

 degree of fermentation, and is rejected, or only picked among by the cattle ; in con- 

 fequence of which much wade maybe committed, which would otherwife bt 

 avoided.* But, befides this, it is not improbable but that the (lock may thrive 

 better by having their food more frequently, and of courfe in a more frefh Hate. 

 And it mould never on any account be left packed in the carts for any length of 

 time. The befl mode would feem to be that of adapting the fize of the cart to the 

 exact confurnption of the flock, as in this way the whole may be conveniently 

 diflributed in the cribs or racks at once, the moment it is wanted, before k be 

 comes unpalatable by fermentation, and the leaft poffible lofs be incurred. It is 

 conftantly neceiTary to watch the conduct of labourers in this particular, as they are 

 in general much difpofed to overfeed. There is another matter in this fort of feed 

 ing that mould not be difregarded, which is that of not fuffering the crops that 

 are ufed in foiling to advance to too great a head, as by attention in this refpect the 

 food may be more cleanly eaten up. 



In this fyflem litter becomes an object of the greateft importance j as the large 

 quantity of urine that is made by cattle when foiled on thefe luxuriant forts of 

 green food is capable, by its moiflening property, of aiding, in the hot feafon, the 

 more quick fermentation of fuch materials, and of reducing a very large proportion 

 into the Mate of manure. In this view, the attentive farmer mould therefore 

 make an abundant provifionin the winter time of other forts of materials, where 

 a proper fupply of ftraw cannot be referved for the purpofe. There are various 

 matters that may be made ufe of in this intention, fuch as flubble, fern, ruihes, 

 and other aquatic plants, which may be cut and raked together in the places in 

 which they are moll abundantly produced, in order to be flacked up for future 

 ufe. Leaves might alfo in woody fituations be ufeful for the fame purpofe. And 

 in addition to thefe vegetable matters there are other fubftances that are capable of 

 being employed with utility, fuch as peat or bog earth, freili vegetable mould, 

 land, and the fcrapings of roads ; as during the decompofition of the various vc- 



* Annali of Agriculture, vol. XIV. 



