812 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



farmer of the expense of inside fences, and if generally adopted, 

 the division fences between farms could also be abolished. The 

 expense of a fence is not its only objection, for there is a loss of 

 land, which with a hedge or rail-fence is about an acre to each half 

 mile ; the loss of time in turning in small fields, the labor in clean- 

 ing out brush and briers from fence rows, and the seeding of fields 

 with weeds allowed to ripen on them. In several of our States 

 there have been men appointed to study and gather statistics in 

 regard to the cost of fences, and repairs of the same, and they 

 agree in their estimates, that under the grazing system it will 

 cost an average of on,e dollar per acre annually to keep up the 

 fences. 



Extermination of Weeds is another advantage claimed 

 for the system. On many farms the pastures abound with noxious 

 weeds which the cattle do not eat, and they stand and ripen 

 seed, and so keep up a succession. Under a system of soiling, 

 the crops would be cut early and usually before the seeds of 

 weeds had matured, and even if ripened and allowed to go into 

 the manure, the composting of it would kill them. In soiling 

 we should also follow a rotation that would bring our land under 

 the plow so often as to kill out the weeds. 



Saving of Food. This has already been referred to in 

 speaking of the food fouled and destroyed by the stock in various 

 ways. In soiling, each animal can be fed just what it will eat 

 clean, and can not get access to any more. It is a fact well 

 established, that all force expended by the animal is at the 

 expense of food, which acts in the animal system much as fuel 

 does under the steam boiler, and the animal that must spend a 

 larger part of the day foraging will require more food than if 

 allowed to eat it without this labor. 



Saving of Manure. All good farmers agree in placing a 

 high value on manure. It is the sheet-anchor of agriculture. 

 By an abundant supply of it our crops can be doubled, and the 

 risk of failure from nearly all sources greatly lessened. Under 

 the pasturage system much of the manure is wasted. Some of 

 it is dropped among rocks or in water courses. It is exposed 

 to the sun and partly evaporated, and the residue dried into a 



