PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING. 147 



the lloor of the barn, and most crops can be cut 

 wilh the mower; so, after all, it will not require 

 much time. Especially should this plan of feed- 

 ing supplement the pasture by supplying some 

 green forage — as, rye earl\ in the spring, and 

 soy-beans when the pasture becomes short and 

 dry in midsummer (see " Rotation of Crops," 

 Course 7). 



It is at this latter period that the heat is so 

 oppressive and the flies so troublesome, and if 

 the stock can be housed in a darkened but well- 

 ventilated place in the da)time, and turned into 

 the pasture at night, much greater comfort to 

 the animal and a train in milk or flesh will re- 

 suit. 



There is another economical problem which 

 the covered barn-yard (see Fig. 29) solves. It 

 is that of savincr the waste, that it mav be re- 

 turned to the soil as a fertilizer (see " Fertiliz- 

 ers " ). Not onl)- is the soil benefited by the 

 fertilizine material returned to it, but soilino- 

 crops are very useful in helping to form the 

 courses in rotation (see Courses 5 and 7), which 

 are most beneficial to the soil and most profit- 

 able to the farmer. 



(c) Silage. — There is a time of year in the 

 greater portion of this country when neither 

 pasturing nor soiling is possible. Science has 

 aeain come to the aid of the stockman, and 

 found a way to provide green food in winter. 



