THE SOILING SYSTEM. 141 



conflicting opinions. As to its economy of land and 

 feed there is no question, it being generally admitted 

 that a given number of animals may be abundantly fed 

 on a less space ; nor is there much question as to the 

 increased quantity of milk yielded in stall feeding. Its 

 economy in this country turns rather upon the cost of 

 labor and land ; and the question asked by the dairy 

 man is whether it will pay whether its advantages 

 are sufficient to balance the extra expense of cutting 

 and feeding over and above cropping on the pasture. 

 The importance of this subject has been strongly im- 

 pressed upon the attention of farmers in many sections 

 of the country, by a growing conviction that something 

 must be done to improve the pastures, or that they 

 must be abandoned altogether. 



Thousands of acres of neglected pasture-land in the 

 older states are so poor and worn out that from four to 

 eight acres furnish but a miserable subsistence for a 

 good-sized cow. No animal can flourish under such cir- 

 cumstances. The labor and exertion of feeding is too 

 great, to say nothing of the vastly inferior quality 

 of the grasses in such pastures to those on more 

 recently seeded lands. True economy would dictate 

 that such pastures should either be allowed to run up 

 to wood, or be devoted to sheep-walks, or ploughed and 

 improved. Cows, to be able to yield well, must have 

 plenty of food of a sweet and nutritious quality ; and 

 unless they find it, they wander over a large space, if 

 at liberty, and deprive themselves of rest. 



If a farmer or dairyman is the unfortunate owner of 

 such pastures, there can be no question that, as a mat- 

 ter of real economy, he had better resort to the soiling 

 system for his milch cows, by which means he will 

 largely increase his annual supply of good manure, and 

 thus have the means of improving, and bringing his 



