KEEPING ONE COW. 



4? 



MAY IST, 1880. (To come within the required limits of this 

 paper the journal of the last two years must be condensed. 

 Therefore, omitting detailed descriptions, the general facts are 



given, and some opinions 

 derived from the five years 

 recorded.) For the year 

 ending May, 1879, the 

 method of keeping "June " 

 was much the same as in 

 that last described, but 

 more roots were raised and 

 fed ; some hay was made, 

 and only straw and grain 

 food purchased. The re- 

 sult was even better than 

 that shown by the last 

 account. During the year 



Fig. 5.-EAST END OF STABLE IN 1870. .^ ^^ ^ fifth ^ 



" June" was bought, I tried soiling, keeping the cow in stall and 



yard almost all the time, and have actually got through without 



buying hay or straw, using only one acre and a quarter to produce 



all the long forage needed. There is so much left over that I am 



satisfied one acre well managed, the preparation beginning the 



previous fall, can be made to support my cow, with the exception 



of the grain food and part of the roots. But this requires more 



time for labor than I can 



give, and more manure 



than one cow makes. I 



have had to buy fertilizers 



during the last two years, 



and although they were 



good, I prefer hereafter 



to buy food and make 



manure, rather than buy 



manures to make food. 



For one situated as I am, 



a semi-soiling s}rstetn, or 



limited pasturage helped 



out with other food, is better, even if more food is bought. I 



can be surer of what I purchase, and thus use the one cow to 



better advantage. 



The only secret of home-made manure is to save everything, es- 

 pecially all liquids, mix everything as already explained, fork over 



Fig. 6. PLAN OF STABLE IN 1870. 



