184 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



it is no small matter to keep the fences in repair on 100 

 acres of pasture land. 



This experiment, taking common, and some of it thin 

 meadow for cutting (except the ten acres mentioned as in 

 clover, oats, and fodder-corn), was using smaller crops than 

 is recommended for soiling, and, therefore, took more labor 

 than would be required under the best circumstances. A 

 smaller number would require more time proportionally 

 under the same conditions; but a larger number, under 

 just the right conditions, could be soiled at much less pro- 

 portional cost. 



COST OF LABOR FOR ONE HUNDRED HEAD. 



Let us see what one active man may do under favorable 

 conditions. Let 100 head of cattle be arranged on both 

 sides of a convenient feeding floor, with space to drive a 

 wagon along the floor; and let the soiling crops be well 

 prepared, and convenient to the barn. Now, let the man 

 be provided with a team, mowing-machine, wagon, and hay 

 loader. He goes into a field of green rye, standing thick 

 on the ground, and 2 to 3 feet high, May 15th. Starting 

 in with the mowing-machine, he cuts 100 rods, leaving the 

 stubble 3 inches high. Now he hitches his hay-loader be- 

 hind his wagon, and drives the wagon over the mown rye, 

 the hay-loader picking it up and rolling it upon the hay- 

 rack. Having loaded about one-third of it, or 35 hundred, 

 he drives to the barn. This is one-third of a day's feed. 

 He gathers up the other two loads and brings them to the 

 barn, when the day's feed is provided. This has taken 

 him less than four hours. If now the weather indicates a 

 storm, he repeats this, and houses another day's feed; and 

 sometimes two days' ahead, if the weather indicates a storm 

 of more than one day's duration, for all external water 

 should be avoided as far as possible. Nature has provided 

 sufficient water in the sap of the plant, and any excess 



