Profit of Soiling Cattle, 323 



consideration, provided it should hereafter be found to 

 answer all the purposes of breeding, rearing, and fatting 

 animals, equally as well as grazing ; but of this very- 

 little is known in this country, and as far as my infor- 

 mation extends, not much in Europe : a few experi- 

 ments either here or there, cannot, ought not to overturn 

 established and well tryed practice, yet as I believe it 

 will answer all those purposes, having this year expe- 

 rienced no other difficulties than those arising from too 

 scanty a su ■ ly of proper grasses, and have discovered 

 none improper except red clover, and that only in cer- 

 tain stages of its growth, I cannot but wish to see enter- 

 prising farmers, who are in the habit of carefully in- 

 specting the business of their farms, trying the expe- 

 riment on a moderate scale: those who depend on others 

 should not engage in it ; any industrious observing far- 

 mer might without the least risk try it in a smallway,if he 

 only commences with his horse and working oxen, and 

 has enough of proper grass, I will venture to pronounce 

 positively that he will never pasture them again, while 

 in his power to soil them in the yard ; a trivial breadth 

 of grass will support them, they will be always full and 

 at hand, and the manure saved for his potatoe patch and 

 corn hills, very considerable. 



If your society wishes further report on this subject 

 I should be early informed, for it embraces such a va- 

 riety of objects that it must of necessity be lengthy, and 

 particularly as I conceive it ought to be accompanied 

 with an abridgement of my farm accounts for this year, 

 clearly stated and correctly balanced, to shew from them 

 what bearing soiling has on the profits of the farm, and 

 whether under a judicious management of cattle, those 



