SOILING OF CAITLE. 175 



ber with the tops of veg-etables raised on eight to twelve 

 acres of hiiiil, with the addition of only a sinj^le fodder- 

 ing of salt hay, per day. If, however, the farmer is not 

 in the practice ot raising a sulTicient quantity of roots, to 

 yield a support for his stock, for five or six weeks, cab- 

 bages are, in tins climate, the farmer's best dependance, 

 after the second cutting of the grass and corn, and oat 

 fodder fail. 



After November, potatoes, mangel wurtzel and car- 

 rots, added plentifully to their dry fodder, even if 

 this be only barley, or oat straw, or wet or low meadow 

 hay, will doubtless keep cows in milch till within a suit- 

 able time of their calving. Cows, during the time of 

 their going dry, and other stock at all times, fully sup- 

 plied with ruta baga, or common turnips, with the same 

 poor dry fodder, may be kept in high condition. In 

 England, cattle intended for beef are often fatted on 

 wheat straw and turnips, giving of the latter as many as 

 they will eat. They commence feeding in this manner 

 in Autumn, and b}' the spring the cattle are fat for the 

 market. 



Rye, oats, barley and millet when destined for soiling, 

 should be sown twice as thick as when intended to ri- 

 pen their seeds. In like manner Indian corn may be 

 planted iii continued rows only so far apart as to admit 

 a small })iough in its culture, and with the plants onl;/ 

 foar or live inches a part in the rows. The surface of 

 the ground should be smooth in the rows, so as to admit 

 of mowing the corn : Or it may be sown broadcast, 

 ploughed or harrowed in, by harrowing both ways, and 

 afterwards rolled. 



The essential point in soiling, is to make and save the 

 greatest possible quantity of barn-dung. Some of the 

 most intelligent farmers, therefore have barns with cel- 

 lars under them, for the purpose of receiving the dung 

 of the cattle, and into these the dung and litter are con- 

 stantly thrown. Suitable earths are also laid behind 

 the cattle to absorb the stale as it runs backward, and 

 these, when saturated, are also thrown down and mix- 

 ed with the dung. The cellar should not be very deep, 

 and should be open for the admission of air during the 

 summer. The bottom ought to be made water tight 

 with clay. Others prefer sheds adjoining the barn, to 

 keep tha dang under cover to protect it from the rains, 



