SOILING, 



U. L. Pell, Pelham I'arm, flstei- co«Wty» 



l^or the last four years it has been my constant practice to soilj 

 not only cows, but hogs, oxen and horses. My yards are large, 

 enclosed by stone walls, and so arranged as to collect all the manure 

 in +he centre. There is a pump and trough convenient to it, and 

 open sheds where the animals may lie and ruminate at pleasures 



Three times each day, at stated hours, green crops are cut and 

 brought to them, such as clover and tim.othy grass, green oats, green 

 corn stalks, green buckwheat in bloom, root tops, &c. Occasional^ 

 ly, by way of change, dry hay and straw are cut up and given to 

 them, mixed with sufficient wheat bran to induce them to reliih it» 

 The stock are never permitted to waste anything; that left by the 

 cows is given to the horses, as horses will eat after cows^ and vice 

 versa, cows after horses; but they will not eat after each other. 

 The leavings of the horses is then fed to the hogs. The animals 

 are enabled to consume their quantum in about thirty minutes, when 

 they immediately lie down, rest, take on fat, and secrete milk. If 

 pastured, they require many hours to obtain the requisite food, besides 

 laboring diligently, which has a tendency to prevent the secretions 

 either of fat or milk. They have but little time to ruminate; and 

 when driven to and from pasture, run wildly about the field; are 

 whipped, stoned and chased by dogs, which causes them to become 

 feverish, and as a result contract their milk vess«^]s. 



Salt should always be within reach of the animals in the yard, as 

 it is indispensable to keep the organs of digestion active, increase 

 the milk and growth of fat, besides much improving the quality of 

 the flesh. 



I have found, by actual experiment, that cows, when fed in the 

 yard at regular periods, with a change of food, not allowing tbeffl 



