104 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



too expensive for general use, and we need therefore give 

 them no further consideration ; which narrows the problem 

 of crops down to hay and clover, soiling crops, and the corn 

 plant. Soiling as a system of stock-feeding is but little used 

 in New England, and yet it deserves more attention than has 

 been given it. 



There are few farms that have such excellent pastures that 

 the stock can be carried through from spring until ftill with- 

 out some supplementary feeding. It is a noteworthy sign of 

 the times, that each year more and more farmers see the force 

 of this remark, and make preparation for carrying their cows 

 over the drought of midsummer and early fall. On many 

 farms the pasture will carry the cows until the middle of 

 August, and a crop of corn suitable for soiling can be ma- 

 tured by this time. Of all soiling crops corn is undoubtedly 

 the best, where the crop is not needed until late enough in 

 the fall to raise the crop ; but it should always be remem- 

 bered that the corn crop, to be valuable, must be nearly 

 matured, and must be planted far enough apart so that it 

 will ear. 



For those whose pastures begin to fail early, some more 

 elaborate system of soiling is necessary ; and probably the 

 most valuable crops next to corn are clover and peas and 

 oats. 



But a better method than resorting to soiling lies open 

 for most of us, and that is winter dairying. This allows the. 

 cows to go dry during July and August, and therefore there 

 is no need of supplementary feeding until a first-class corn 

 crop is ready for them in September. Whatever addition 

 to the pasture they may need during July and August, may 

 be as readily supplied with hay as the more expensive soiling 

 crops. 



Many of our farms are situated so that they need to 

 produce milk the whole year round. This will usually 

 happen in the vicinity of cities, where land is high and pastur- 

 age expensive. What might be called a model system of 

 economical stock-feeding for such conditions, would be the 

 keeping of the cows off from pasture entirely, keeping them 

 in the stanchion every night in the year, and allowing them 

 a few acres in which to move around for exercising during 



