SOILING QF CATTLE. 173 



1st. The sating of land. For it is said by those who 

 have practised soiling, that a spot of ground which, 

 "vvhen pastured, will yield only suthcient food for one 

 head, will abundantly maintain four^ when kept in the 

 stable. 



2d. The saving of fencings The general effect of 

 soiling cattle is, to render all interior fences absolutely use- 

 less. 



3d. The economising of food. There are six ways by 

 which beasts destroy the article destined tor their food ; 

 viz. By eating ; walking ; dunging ; staling ; lying down ; 

 and breathing on it : Of these, the tirst only is useful. 

 By cutting the same, and feeding it to them in the stall, 

 sparingly, in point of time, but sufficiently in point of 

 quantity, every particle will be consumed ; and beasts 

 will eat many products of the earth, in the stall, which 

 they will refuse in the pasture. 



4th. 7he better condition and greater comfort of the cat- 

 tle. They are less subject to accidents and diseases ; 

 they are protected from the flies ; and they do not suf- 

 fer from the heat of summer. Stall feeding, does not 

 imply keeping cattle in stalls, or in the house the whole 

 time. It only intends, always feeding them there, and 

 keeping them there the chief of the time. On the con- 

 trary, it is an essential part of the system, to let them 

 loose in yards well shaded, at least two hours in the fore- 

 noon, and two in the afternoon. 



5th. The greater product of milk. Although the quan- 

 tity of milk may not be greater in the early part of the 

 season, when pastures abound with a flush of feed, yet 

 Mr. (^uincy has found from experience, that by provid- 

 ing a regular succession of succulent crops, the milk 

 product will be undiminished ; and therefore greatly ex- 

 ceed that obtained by pasturing. 



6th. The attainment of manure. Soiling is supposed to 

 afford more than double the quantity of manure from 

 the same number of cattle ; for the best summer ma- 

 nure is produced in the stable, and carried to the field 

 when in the most suitable condition; whereas, when 

 scattered about lields, and exhausted by the air audsuD, 

 it is much wasted. 



There are other advantages attending this method of 

 husbandry. The trouble of driving the mikh cows to 

 16 



