Objections to Soiling. 83 



- seven heifers, one bull (twenty-six head), and some 

 pigs. All the cleaning, feeding, and attendance on 

 these animals was done by a boy of fourteen years 

 for one year, and the boy had considerable time to 

 spend in field work. The extra labor involved is 

 well repaid by the extra manure made, and the gain 

 from the cattle and the increased fertility of the 

 soil will be clear profit. The bugbear of labor is a 

 phantom. It is imaginary. The need is more for 

 head work than for hand work." 



Another writer in " The Country Gentleman," who 

 has had many years' experience in soiling, says, " It 

 requires one man to spend half of his time cutting, 

 hauling to the barn, and feeding forty-eight cows, 

 at $i per day " (a trifle over i cent per cow). 



I never could see why a farmer should object to 

 extra labor, when there is found a profit in it. It is 

 rarely that a man accumulates wealth from the labor 

 of his own hands. The carpenter, blacksmith, shoe- 

 maker, or other mechanic who ever becomes well-to- 

 do, usually owes his prosperity to the labor of other 

 men's hands. There is a great amount of work 

 to be performed upon a farm that would pay a 

 handsome profit, but, as it does not always return 

 to the farmer directly in cash, he is inclined to apply 

 himself to such work only as puts the "almighty 

 dollar" directly in his pocket. This, I think, is 

 another reason why the soiling system is not more 

 generally practised. Many do not like to see a crop 

 of green rye, oats, or peas cut down and fed to 

 stock, when, by waiting a few weeks longer, they 



