No. 3. 



Soiling, or House Feeding. 



75 



be considered as one form of soiling, is uni 

 versally practised. Experiments have been 

 made on the feeding of sheep entirely within 

 a yard ; and the result, with respect to an 

 eminent farmer in Yorkshire, whose estab- 

 lishment I had the pleasure of visiting, 

 seemed to show that much was gained by 

 this process, inasmuch as the animals con- 

 sumed a much less quantity of food, in the 

 proportion of 30 to 50, than animals which 

 had a free range; but latter experiments, by 

 other individuals, do not confirm these re- 

 sults. Mr. Pusey, for example, states, that 

 he "kr-pt ten Down lambs in a shed, and ten 

 out of doors, weighing each lot regularly ; 

 but found the gain of weight rather on the 

 side of the lambs fed out of doors." It is 

 extremely difficult to say why one experi- 

 ment succeeds, and another of the same kind 

 fails or gives an entirely different result; 

 but this is a frequent occurrence, and re- 

 quires us to draw conclusions from single or 

 from few facts with extreme caution. We 

 can presume to be confident only when 

 these facts are multiplied, and often repeat- 

 ed under the same circumstances, and al- 

 ways with the same results. 



With respect to the soiling of cattle, it is 

 the case with some farmers that their calves 

 are never turned into the field until they are 

 a year old, and that many cattle maybe said 

 to be wholly reared in the stall. The fat 

 stock, which are sent to the Smithfield cat- 

 tle-show, and much of what is designed for 

 the market, are kept altogether in the stalls 

 or in loose boxes, as they are here termed. 



In regard to milch cows in the country, 

 they are commonly depastured ; but in the 

 large dairy establishments of London and 

 its vicinity, they are wholly soiled. After 

 being once placed in the stalls, they are 

 never untied, excepting in some cases where 

 they are loosened for the purpose of being 

 watered, until their milk ceases to be suffi- 

 cient to meet the expense of their keeping. 

 They are then fattened and sold to the 

 butcher. The feed is cut and daily brought 

 to them in a green state, sometimes from a 

 considerable distance. In such a city, cows, 

 if kept at all, must be kept in the house; 

 and during the season when green feed is 

 attainable, it is of course obtained, for its 

 advantages in increasing the milk. 



Two great advantages of soiling cattle 

 are, first, the increase of manure ; and se- 

 cond, the keeping of more cattle on the 

 same land. 



The increase of manure from soiling is 

 very far beyond what would be supposed by 

 any one not experienced. Where proper 

 provision is made for this purpose, all the 

 manure of the animals is saved, instead ofj 



being left and scattered either on the road 

 side, or in the fields, to be dried up by the 

 sun, or washed away by the rain ; and it is 

 at hand to be applied as the farmer shall 

 choose. It gives him an opportunity of con- 

 verting all his long litter, and the straw of 

 his farm, into the most valuable of manure, 

 by using it as an absorbent for a large 

 amount of the liquid portion? of the excre- 

 ments of his cattle. It affords him likewise 

 the power, by properly-constructed gutters 

 and tanks, of saving his liquid manure — the 

 best portion, if well managed, and according 

 to the estimation of many eminent farmers, 

 compared with the solid portions of the ma- 

 nure, in point of value, full two to one. 



The next great advantage of soiling is 

 the increased stock which may be kept upon 

 the same land. From the various facts 

 which have come under my observation, 

 where the soil is carefully and judiciously 

 cultivated, and duly manured, and a proper 

 rotation observed, I believe that on land un- 

 der artificial grass or esculent crops, three 

 animals may be soiled where one only is 

 now grazed. I believe this may be done 

 with equal or superior advantage to the 

 health and thrift of the animals, and that, in 

 most cases, the increase of valuable manure 

 obtained in this way, will much more than 

 pay for any extraordinary trouble of attend- 

 ance. 



Another advantage is in the saving of in- 

 terior fences upon a farm. Where cattle 

 are kept constantly in barns or yards, the 

 necessity of enclosures is of course done 

 away; and separate from the saving of ex- 

 pense in the case, the convenience of culti- 

 vating in long lines and open fields, the 

 saving of land, and the superior neatness of 

 the cultivation, are great and obvious advan- 

 tages. 



The trouble of cutting and carrying the 

 fodder for a large stock, presents to many 

 persons an insuperable objection to soiling. 

 This, however, must depend on local cir- 

 cumstances, which every farmer must take 

 into consideration for himself. Without 

 doubt, in some cases it might be such as to 

 render the experiment ineligible. The diffi- 

 culty of finding a supply of green feed suf- 

 ficiently early in the spring, is likewise 

 made an objection. This may be an objec- 

 tion in many localities; but in England pro- 

 per, where an ample supply of Swedish tur- 

 nips, carrots, and mangel-wurzel, are grown, 

 and where winter vetches, rye, Italian rye 

 grass, and lucerne, aflx)rd an early cutting, 

 this objection does not apply. It has been 

 objected that cows soiled will not give so 

 much milk as when grazed ; on the other 

 hand, the testimony of some individuals 



