DAIRY MANAGEMENT, THE MILK TBADE, ETC. 83 



plan on grass land is that the quality of grass frequently cut 

 soon degenerates, unless it is constantly manured. The plan, 

 ■as we have seen it carried out in Switzerland, is highly 

 successful. The meadows are never grazed, but mown three and 

 often four times in a season. The liquid manure cart, however, 

 follows the scythe with great regularity. A similar plan is now 

 followed in England where forage crops are grown for the cattle. 

 Upon the farm of Mr. Hunt, of Ingatestone, in Essex, where 

 •about 150 cows are kept (Shorthorns, Jerseys, Guernseys, and 

 Ayrshires) soiling is carried out in an admirable manner. Tares, 

 sainfoin, lucerne, Italian rye grass, cabbage and sorghum 

 saccharatum, are grown for summer consumption, and, upon 

 our visit to the farm on June 21, the cows were getting lucerne, 

 the second cutting being ready before the first was finished. 

 The previous food was rye grass, which was also ready to succeed 

 the lucerne a second time. The first cut of lucerne produced 

 sixteen piled cartloads per acre, the second twelve loads, and 

 the third cut eight loads. One and a quarter loads fed twelve 

 cows per day, and, therefore, an acre kept them for about 

 twenty-nine days. An admirable liquid manure system assists 

 Mr. Hunt to obtain the whole of the liquid excrement of the 

 farm, and this is regularly distributed on the forage crops 

 intended for second cuttings. It may be assumed that cows 

 will consume from 1001b. — Ayrshires, Jerseys, &c. — to 1401b. 

 (Shorthorns) daily, and therefore, a fairly good estimate can be 

 made of the capacity of land to carry dairy stock when its 

 quality is known. Under all circumstances milking cows should 

 receive cake or corn, when being soiled, as well for their own 

 welfare, as for the benefit of the lands which will more readily 

 respond to manure thus enriched. Our own experience largely 

 bears out that of Mr. Hunt ; and, it may be assumed that, 

 where a farm is carefully cropped for successions of food 

 between May and October, an acre and a half of good land will 

 provide the yearly requirements of an average cow. While, 

 however, the expenses of hedging and ditching, and the trouble 

 of driving the cows to and fro are diminished, there is much 

 greater outlay in cultivation, and in the incessant cutting and 

 carting during summer. Under Mr. Hunt's system the 

 meadows, together with clover leys, are reserved for hay for 



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