PASTURES AFFECTED BY FEEDING. 161 



they produce when well fed. Some of the best En- 

 glish farmers are accustomed to consider one load of 

 manure from their fattening stock, equal to at least 

 two, and sometimes to three loatls, from the sheds and 

 yards where their youn^? stock is kept. This supe- 

 riority is not a matter of opinion only, but the result 

 of experience. 



RCnON V. ON THE EFFECT OF FEEDING UPON PASTUEBS, 



There is one more point to be noticed, in connec- 

 tion with the difference in the portioas of foo«l re- 

 tained by animals fed at various stages of grovrth, 

 and for different purposes. This is relative to the 

 different effect produceil by them upon pastures. 



Where milch cows, or young stock generally, are 

 fed constantly upon a pasture, or meadow, there is 

 a rapid deterioration, particularly as to the inor- 

 ganic materials of the soil. The milch cow carries 

 away phosphates, and other valuable mineral ingre- 

 dients, beside nitrogenous bodies, in her milk; the 

 yoyiwr animal does the same, in its augmenttnl body 

 and bones. Their manure, even if all lef\ upon the 

 •oil, does not rc*store more than a small part of that 

 which they take away; and the ri< ' 'are will, 



after a time, begin to show si^rns of < ,..n. 



The case of a pasture n; ii lull grown ani- 



mals are fattenetl, is quit*- < Here all of the 



phosphates, etc. which are not requiretl for the bwly, 

 are restored to the soil; and such a pasture may hold 

 out, with little decrease of fertility, for a very lonff 

 period. If the aniu^als are at the same time, as is 

 usual, fed with rich ^mkI from sonrci«s fon'ii;n to the 

 farm, tlwn tli' • may tv< '; 



a systiin ol i ; the in i 



the soil may at lually Ik- incrcasfd, rather ihiin dimi- 

 nished, if tht* f(M><l rutt'ii alKXinils in thnn. In w)ine 

 I I* 



