No. 8. 



Soiling Cattle. 



24S 



must be withheld, until it is ascertained that 

 sufficient patronage will be accorded. 



A word as to the Undersigned himself. — 

 To those who know hira, 'tis needless to say, 

 that this great undertaking is prompted by 

 no interested motive whatever; for all the 

 capital to be employed, and all the trouble 

 and anxiety incurred, he expects not a dollar 

 by way of profit or remuneration for his ser- 

 vices. He therefore wishes to stand in the 

 proper attitude before all, and leave to all 

 the means of making a fair estimate, and 

 coming to a proper determination so far as 

 they may feel interested. 



Respectfully, 



James Gowen. 



Feb. 22nd, Washington's Birth day, 1847. 

 Agricultural papers will please copy the above.— Ed. 



Soiling Cattle. 



By Dr. Field. 



[Read before the Farmers' Club of the American Insti- 

 tute, and communicated for publication.] 



The soiling of cattle has been highly re- 

 commended by our agricultural writers, and 

 by many distinguished farmers who have 

 employed the system advantageously. 



Daring the last three years, I have kept 

 my farm stock partially after this plan. I 

 have seen many advantages result from it, 

 but yet have become fully satisfied that soil- 

 ing can be economically practiced only un- 

 der certain favourable circumstances. 



If land is valuable in consequence of its 

 contiguity to a market, where a good price 

 and ready cash can be obtained for its pro- 

 ductions, especially milk; or if the grounds 

 are laid out in lawns, covered with shrub- 

 bery, nurseries, young orchards, &c., then, 

 if it is desirable to keep stock at all, it would 

 be unquestionably best to soil them, so also 

 it would be, under almost any circumstances, 

 desirable to soil or keep up working cattle 

 and horses, for they are then always ready 

 for the yoke, or harness, without the trouble 

 of going in the pastures for them ; besides, 

 it is much better to feed the animals with 

 that kind of food which would be more pro- 

 per for them while at work than grass only. 

 Again ; much would depend upon the de- 

 Bcription of produce that the farmer expects 

 to obtain from his cattle. If he intends 

 making butter, or cheese, then the soiling 

 system would not answer. The only plan 

 to obtain a good article of fine flavoured 

 butter or cheese, is to afford the cows an 

 unrestrained range in a good pasture, I 

 think there must be, and it is the opinion of 

 others, much better acquainted with the sub- 

 ject than myself, certain plants growing in 

 the pasture, which give to butter and cheese 



their rich colour and flavor, which the cows 

 find when they roam at large. At any rate, 

 I never yet have seen finely coloured butter 

 made while cows were kept up on any feed, 

 and I have fed grass, clover, green oats, rye, 

 and corn, cabbages, turnips, potatoes, beets, 

 &,c. I intended, to-day, to exhibit to the 

 club a specimen of butter made from a cow 

 fed with warm swill and hay. It was as 

 white as lard, and almost as tasteless. A 

 few days since I was in the cellar of a coun- 

 try merchant and saw there a number of 

 specimens of butter from some of the best 

 farmers of Dutchess county. Almost every 

 parcel was of a white colour. I am aware 

 there are large quantities of fresh butter 

 sold in the winter and spring that possess a 

 good colour, but only a little experience in 

 the art of colouring is sufficient to give 

 either cheese or butter any desired colour. 

 The greatest advantage to be derived from 

 soiling cows is the quantity of manure that 

 can be obtained from them, and a regular 

 and abundant supply of milk. 



According to the experiments of Mr. Pell, 

 which he communicated to the State Agri- 

 cultural Society, published by them in their 

 Transactions, for 1844, it would appear, that 

 to keep cows, except for their manure, would 

 be attended with ruinous expenses. Five 

 cows gave, each, under the most favourable 

 circumstances, sixteen quarts of milk. Four- 

 teen quarts of good milk are allowed for one 

 pound of butter. I do not believe that six- 

 teen quarts of milk, from soiling, would 

 more than make a pound of butter — at any 

 rate, a cow that would average one pound 

 of good butter per day, is a first rate cow. 

 Estimating this butter at Is. 6d. per pound, 

 his five cows would yield 7s. 6d. per day. 

 What v;ould such an income do towards 

 paying the expenses of the animals, build- 

 ings, land, seed, labour, &c. He made, 

 however, a large quantity of valuable ma- 

 nure, but the bulk of this was straw, weeds, 

 leaves, &c. 



To make manure from the stock, it is ne- 

 cessary that they should be either enclosed 

 in a yard, or tied up. The only reason as- 

 signed why the manure does not give its full 

 benefit in pasturage is, that a great propor- 

 tion of it evaporates. Those who soil their 

 cattle, and turn them in a lot, therefore, lose 

 the most valuable substances in the manure. 

 It is, no doubt, better to give the animals the 

 benefit of a small enclosure for exercise, &c., 

 but yet, if it is desirable to make manure, 

 these advantages must be sacrificed. 1 have 

 always found it was better to keep stock 

 tied up constantly than to sufl"er them to 

 roam a part of the season ; and then confine 

 them at other periods — for they would al- 



