128 Mr. Curwcn on the Means of 



Having matured my plan, I determined to appropriate twenty two acres of land, 

 within less than a mile of a town containing eight thousand inhabitants, to its supply 

 with milk, and the support of my other stock, during the winter months. I was in 

 a great measure ignorant of the quantity of green-food that would be required for 

 each head of cattle. 



The ground was cropped with four acres of cow cabbages; six acres of common 

 red turnip ; two acres of Swedish turnip ; one of kohlrabi ; and nine acres of cole- 

 seed. The milch-cows were turned out in good weather into a dry sheltered pas- 

 ture of sixteen acres, wliich had been so hard stinted, as to afford them little or no 

 food, but had the advantage of plenty of good water. 



In the beginning of April, 1804, t^'ie cabbages were transplanted ; by this early 

 planting they have always succeeded better than those of my neighbours, which 

 were later. The turnips were sown by the drill, in stitches at three feet distance, 

 and the utmost attention paid to the cleaning of the whole, not only for their benefit, 

 but for that of the succeeding crops. The turnips proved a failing crop in many 

 parts, the other crops very good. 



The stock of cattle fed in sheds consisted of thirty-three : twenty-two milch-cows, 

 eight of them had been spring calvers, the remainder heifers. I notice this circum- 

 stance, to account for the apparent smallness of the quantity of milk afforded. 



I was so circumstanced as to be necessitated to dispose of the greatest part of 

 my stock before my winter crop was exhausted ; having no preparation to continue 

 feeding them in the house during summer, nor any distant pastures of less value 

 than the lands I occupied near to the town, to continue them for another season. 

 Much of the success of the experiment depended upon the condition the stock 

 should be in, to enable me to dispose of them early, and with little loss. I had eight 

 three-years old heifers, intended to be kept for stock ; a bull and four cows for 

 fattening ; and besides these, I wintered thirty-five head of Highland heifers, and 

 sixty-five sheep. 



In dry and moderate weather, the milch-cows remained out from ten o'clock 

 till towards evening. From their being kept in open sheds they were less sensibly 

 affected by the cold. A greater degree of warmth is supposed to be favour.ible 

 to their milking; but I do not believe, so kept, they would have been in equal 

 thriving and healthy condition. 



I found it advisable to make use of the cabbages first ; ihey required much labour 



