AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 237 



and the larger creatures too, birds, etc. The finest cherry on the 

 tree is selected by them all. Who selects the poorest ? 



Solon Robinson — And the fly attends to his grain of wheat 

 precisely when, in the dough, the precious meal is ready for 

 him. 



Mr. Lowe — The wheat midge always does. 



The Chairman called up the question for the day " Summer 

 soiling of cattle." 



Mr. Kimball was requested to state his views and practice on 

 his hundred acre farm at Flatlands, Long Island, ten miles from 

 Brooklyn. He said that he never pastured his cattle and had 

 no doubt of the loss sustained in it for the stock would destroy 

 as much as they could eat. That he soiled all his and found that 

 one acre would do as much as two. As to the exe^rcise needed 

 by cows particularly, he could not find that they suffered for 

 want of it. His farm had no interior division fences at all. 

 The various crops grew side by side on the hundred acres. He 

 had outside fences and a long lane which contained some grass, 

 and he let his cows into this lane for pasture and exercise, if they 

 pleased, but they moved but little and seemed best pleased while 

 standing or lying down in the shade of trees chewing the cud. 

 Where I grow crop for soiling I have to keep the ground. rich. 

 I top dress it suitably. I find that the crop of one acre soils /owr 

 cows for summer. In winter, hay, grain, etc. I think that 

 grazing gives some more milk than soiling. 



The Chairman said he had made summer soiling experiments, 

 thought it true economy", and was surprised at the smallness of 

 the piece of ground required fur soiling compared with the large 

 extent of pastures. As to the effect of soiling on the health of 

 cattle, he thought it nothing at all. They were as healthy soiled 

 as pastured. 



Mr. Lowe believed pasture best where land was plenty. 



Solon Eobinson— But sir, where the land is worth the trouble 

 and expense of fencing, there soiliirg is best — otherwise grazing 

 or pasturing, of course. 



Mr. Kimball — Some say labor hurts the milk of the cow. I 

 saw cows continually at work in Germany, and the women too 

 out doors, while men (ihey were or had been soldiers chiefly,) 

 were then playing old soldier in the taverns, drinking lager bier 

 perhaps. The rye I saw there was taller in one field than an 

 officer six feet four inches high with his hat on, and right excel- 

 lent bread was made of the grain. The cows were as well lodged 

 as the people. The barn on one side, house on the other, both 



