56 BRITISH DAIRYING. 



succulence and nutritive value, whilst the proportion of its 

 indigestible fibre increases. After a time it ceases to grow at 

 all, and the sap in it goes down to the roots. To make up 

 for this decadence, other supplies of food for cows are needed : 

 these supplies are provided by " eddish " on the meadows, and 

 by green crops on the arable land cabbages, autumn vetches, 

 second cut of red clover, turnips, and so on. 



The leaves and stalks of the maize plant, cut whilst green 

 and full of eap, are in America an excellent soiling crop, not 

 in autumn only, but in summer too, when the drought burns 

 up the pastures. Plots of this maize are sown in succession, 

 and cut in the same order as required. The seed is sown 

 much more thickly in the soil than when a crop of grain is 

 wanted, and as the plants grow up to four, or five, or even six 

 feet in height, the weight of green food per acre is very con- 

 siderable. It would seem that maize might be widely grown in 

 this country as a green crop for soiling purposes. In default 

 of green crops in the autumn, and when the eddish is finished, 

 3 or 4 Ibs. of cake are found most beneficial in maintaining the 

 flow of milk and the condition of the cows. If the autumn be 

 wet, which is commonly the case, the rough cotton-cake will 

 probably answer best of all, either with green crops or without 

 them. 



Wintering. 



Assuming that cows have been well attended to in the fall, 

 and come into winter quarters in good store condition, the 

 difficulty of wintering them nicely is diminished. Those of 

 them that are " on note " for early February must be let dry for 

 calving about the end of November or in the early part of the 

 following month ; and as soon as the milk has gone they should 

 be generously fed as a preparation for the next season's 

 milking. 



As a general rule, cows should be " dry " about two 

 months. Some of them, however, are let dry with no little diffi* 

 culty for a single month or less, and here and there one reso- 

 lutely declines to be let dry at ail. I know of nothing better, 



