PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING. 147 



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

 with 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 early in the spring, and 

 soy-beans when the pasture becomes short and 

 dry in midsummer (see " Rotation of Crops," 

 Course /). 



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 daytime, and turned into 

 the pasture at night, much greater comfort to 

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

 sult. 



There is another economical problem which 

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

 is that of saving the waste, that it may be re- 

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

 ers "). Not only is the soil benefited by the 

 fertilizing material returned to it, but soiling 

 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. 



(<:) vSilage. There is a time of year in the 

 greater portion of this country when neither 

 pasturing nor soiling is possible. Science has 

 again come to the aid of the stockman, and 

 found a way to provide green food in winter. 



