418 HANDY-BOOK OF HUSBANDRY. 



facts in this world as we find them, and we can hope to improve 

 our circumstances only very gradually. If a farmer has 200 acres 

 of land, and only two or three hired hands, it would be folly for him 

 to attempt to make any better use of the crops of his grass- fields 

 than by grazing his animals upon them. And if a man so circum- 

 stanced were to adopt the system of soiling, he would necessarily 

 neglect other very important parts of his business, and would find 

 that the system results in loss rather than in profit. If he could 

 judiciously sell one-half of his domain, probably he would find it to 

 his advantage in many ways to do so. But there is a feeling about 

 the ownership of broad acres which will generally undo any argu- 

 ment in favor of their reduction. If a farmer finds it practicable 

 to add largely to his working force, and if he has the skill and 

 executive power to manage the increased force successfully, there 

 is no doubt that he might derive great advantage from the adoption 

 of soiling. But unfortunately, a very large proportion of American 

 farmers would find it impossible either to employ or to house a 

 largely increased force of farm-hands ; and a great many of them 

 would never succeed in controlling a larger number of men than 

 could follow themselves in any given piece of work. To all such, 

 then, the only wise recommendation is, that they adhere to their old 

 practices, merely watching carefully for every opportunity for 

 adopting the new ones when circumstances shall allow them to 

 do so. 



For those who own small farms, and who, from their proximity 

 to thickly settled neighborhoods, or by reason of any special cir- 

 cumstances, may be able to employ profitably an increased num- 

 ber of men, it has been amply proven, by experience in this country 

 and in Europe, that their surest road to the most successful agricul- 

 ture lies in the practice of soiling all of their live stock which cannot 

 be fed upon the waste corners of the farm. It may be stated, as a 

 general principle, that any land which will properly pasture 

 throughout the season one cow to two acres, will, at least after a 

 year or two of preparation, produce enough^ if its crops are mowed 

 and. carried to the barn, to support two cows to one acre. And 

 this has reference only to the growing of ordinary forage crops. 



