No. 216.] 153 



Or instead of the whole quantity of any one of these, a half or 

 quarter, or any other proportion of each may be taken, and the ani- 

 mal will probably be found to thrive better on the mixture, than if 

 fed on any one of these kinds of food alone, 



2d. Soiling. This is a mode of supporting animals on green 

 food, cut every day, and given to them within certain enclosures^ 

 grasses of a quick and rank growth, should be had recourse to for 

 this purpose, such as lucerne, clover, rye, grass, also turnips, carrots, 

 &c. It is in my opinion the most advantageous way of keeping all 

 descriptions of stock — the refuse matter left forms a valuable 

 manure; the animals can be protected readily from all annoyances, 

 shaded from the sun, kept in a state of rest, and without inconven- 

 ience to the farmer. I have practiced soiling horses, cows, oxen 

 and hogs, for the last few years, and am perfectly satisfied that it is 

 far more economical than any other mode. The manure made alone, 

 has more than paid all the expense of their keeping. A cow will 

 eat one fifth of her weight in green food in a single day, and about 

 one fiftieth of dry food; for every 100 lbs of hay a cow eats, she 

 gives 216 lbs. of fresh manure; the roots she eats, yield about half 

 the weight eaten, in fresh manure; the value of the manure for agri- 

 cultural purposes, depends upon the quality of food fed the stock. 

 Sprengel says, " that in the neighborhood of Hildesheim, the farmers 

 give a higher price for the house manure of the Lutheran, than for 

 that of the Roman Catholic families, because of the numerous fasts 

 which the latter are required to observe." Twelve loads of the 

 dung of animals fed (while fattening) chiefly upon oil-cake, was 

 found to give a greater produce than 24 loads from store stock fed 

 in the straw-yard. Your cows when pregnant require very kind 

 treatment, and an additional quantity of nourishing food, to sustain 

 the unborn calf, and supply matter for the bones and muscles. If 

 attention is paid to the matter, your cow will not be compelled to 

 lay her own bones under contribution to serve the calf, and conse- 

 quently when it is born, she will be in full condition. After the 

 birth it will still be necessary to increase her food to sustain herself 

 and maintain the calf. The kind of increase you wish the calf to 

 make, must be your guide as to the quantity of food necessary. If 

 you have an abundance of milk, kind and provident nature will ef- 

 fect all the objects you may desire, as it contains all the necessary 

 requisites combined, provided the cow receives mixed food, out of 

 which by chemical combinations to form curd for the muscles, butter 

 for the fat, sugar for the carbon, and phosphates for the bones. 



3rd. Grazing. This in my opinion is the most expensive mode of 

 keeping stock; bad it not been adopted in the United States, perhaps 



