SOILING AND PASTURING. 425 



" have not- attempted to ascertain ; but I am satisfied, that, every 

 *' thing considered, it is not less than one buck-load per month per 

 " head j or, on twenty head of cattle, one hundred and twenty 

 " loads for the six soiling months. In this estimate, I take into 

 " consideration the advantage resulting from the urine saved by 

 " means of loam, sand, or some imbibing recipient, prepared to 

 " absorb it. 



" It remains to show that the cost of raising the food, cutting 

 " it, and distributing it to the cattle, is compensated by these 

 " savings. Upon this point, my own experience has satisfied me 

 '' that the value of the manure alone is an ample compensation for 

 " all this expense ; leaving the saving of land, of food, and of 

 " fencing-stuff, as well as the better condition of the cattle, as a 

 " clear gain from the system. As an evidence of this I state my 

 " expenses for labor in conducting the soiling process. 



" During the month of June, I hired a man to do every thing 

 '' appertaining to the soiling process — that is, cutting the food, 

 " delivering it, taking care of the cattle in the day-time — for 

 " fifteen dollars the month, he finding himself. In this arrange- 

 " ment, it was estimated that I availed myself of half his labor. 

 " At the end of the month I had the manure measured ; and I 

 " found that the manure collected in my receptacle, (which was a 

 " cellar under the barn,) and not including that which had been 

 " made during the four hours each day in the yard, amounted to 

 " fifteen loads, — a quantity of manure which I could not have 

 " placed on my farm for thirty dollars ; and which I could have 

 " sold there for twenty dollars, upon the condition it should be 

 " carried away. It cost me, as above stated, fifteen dollars in the 

 " labor of the attendant. 



" During the remaining five months, I added another man, be- 

 " cause I found that a great economy in vegetable food would 

 *' result from cutting it into pieces by a cutting-knife, and mixing 

 '■'■ with it about one-third of cut salt hay or straw. This was 

 *' done ; and I kept an accurate account of all the labor of cutting 

 " the food in the field, bringing it into the barn, cutting it up there, 

 "cutting salt hay or straw to mix with it, mixing this food, and 



