36 Soiling. 



should not only have all the raw material she can 

 consume and digest, but she must expend the least 

 amount of muscular labor to acquire it consistent 

 with health. We shall notice this point further un- 

 der "Objections to Soiling." 



When animals begin the season in good flesh, it 

 must be maintained by abundance of food. Failing 

 to supply it, either one of two things happens. 

 They either stop short in their product, or draw on 

 the stored energies of the system, which are, as R. 

 S. Thomson says in "Science of Farming, "" reab- 

 sorbed into the blood and burned in the place of 

 food. If the deficiency of food continues, the mus- 

 cular substances will also be attacked and absorbed. 

 This process will continue until the animal can no 

 longer obtain from its tissues material to produce by 

 its combustion sufficient heat and energy to maintain 

 the vital processes, and the animal dies." Another 

 great difficulty in the pasturing system is, the ani- 

 mals, cows in milk especially, begin to draw on their 

 stored materials long before it is usually noticed. 

 They go on giving a good flow of milk on pasture 

 which is insufficient to sustain them, until the first 

 thing the owner knows his cow is a skeleton, and to 

 get her back again will require the cost of all she 

 has hitherto produced. Getting a cow up into con- 

 dition which has once been lost, while she is milk- 

 ing, is a very long, stern chase, and a very expen- 

 sive undertaking, as any one knows who has tried 

 it. Better dry her off and begin again next year, 

 and not only have her up at the beginning, but keep 



