CATTLE. 395 



the saving in fences will pay all the extra expenses of soiling, 

 leaving one thousand dollars to be invested in the additional stock 

 1 that can be fed under the new system. "We venture to say that 

 , one and a quarter acres in hay and grain for winter soiling, and 

 three quarters of an acre in green crops for summer soiling, will 

 be sufficient for any stock. We have statements from a large 

 , number of reliable men who practice soiling and no one of them 

 ^ allows over two acres per head. It will thus be seen that the 

 ' same number of acres can be made to feed twice or three times 

 as many head of cattle by the soiling system. Third, is the sav- 

 ing in manure, and this is the most important consideration of 

 all. Manure is valuable even on the virgin soil of the prairies. 

 No amount of manure is wasted when applied even to these. As 

 we have already seen, the soiling system enables the farmer to 

 keep double the number of animals on the same amount of land ; 

 it will also double the value of the manure of each animal, thus 

 making four times the amount of manure to return to the fields. 

 No land will ever become '' exhausted" under such a system, 

 but will constantly increase in fertility. A fourth consideration 

 is that there will be a lari>e extra product of milk, butter, or 

 beef; enough to pay for the labor of soiling. 



Directions for Soilixg. For summer feeding an open 

 shed may be used, connected with a yard or lane. The sheds 

 should be divided into stalls, and ev'ery creature should have 

 its own place, and never be allowed to feed anywhere else. 

 They will soon learn to take their own places without crowding 

 or hunching each other. Their feeding hours should be regular 

 and often, at least four times a day. 



The sheds should, of course, be provided with mangers, and 

 the stalls with stanchions, as it is desirable to have the animals 

 stand in them all but two or three hours in the day, when they 

 are out for exercise. 



