EARNING CAPACITY REQUIRES STUDY 43 



a minister with no previous experience in farming, began 

 to read what agricultural literature was available. One 

 of the first books secured was Quincy's little book on 

 the soiling of cattle. As in many parts of this country 

 the practice of "soiling" is not common, it is permissible 

 to state that it consists in cutting and feeding green feed 

 in summer instead of allowing the animals to run on a 

 pasture. 



The system of handling manure is such that none is 

 lost, either liquid or solid. No commercial fertilizers 

 have ever been used, and no manure has been hauled from 

 the city. The crops are all fed, and are thus largely re- 

 turned to the land in the manure. Of course much valu- 

 able fertilizer is added to the farm annually from the 

 rich mill products fed the cows. The roughage is all 

 raised on the farm, but all the grain is bought. 



The cows are fed balanced rations every day in the 

 year. Every feed consists of three parts. A portion of it 

 is some succulent material — silage in winter; and rye, 

 timothy and clover, corn, peas and oats, or some other 

 green crop in summer. A second portion consists of dry 

 hay or fodder. This is used to give the manure proper 

 consistency and adds much to the convenience of caring 

 for the cows. A third portion consists of mill products, 

 of which three kinds are used — bran, oil meal, and gluten. 



The soiling crops used are as follows : Green rye, 

 beginning about May i, and continuing about four weeks, 

 or until the rye is ready to cut for hay. Then timothy 

 and clover are fed till peas and oats are ready. When 

 the latter is cut for hay, the silo is opened (about July 

 4), and silage is fed till early corn is ready. Enough 

 early corn is planted to last till late corn (planted about 

 June 22) is ready. Late corn is then fed till it is time to 

 put it in the silo. From this time forward silage is fed 

 daily till green rye is available in the spring. No abrupt 



