SOILING HOUSES. 197 



Sorghum, when used as a soiling crop, is even more 

 benefited by being passed through the cutter and reduced 

 to very short lengths. This, also, should be mixed with 

 other green food, such as clover, millet, orchard grass, 

 lucerne, etc., or some dry food as above described. 



The feeder will often be able to feed three or four differ- 

 ent green foods at the same time, or he can feed two one 

 day and change to two others next day, and he can be 

 guided in the selections by the chemical qualities of each, 

 and the tables we gave in the last chapter will enable him 

 to determine the proper combination. He need never fear 

 of giving too great a variety. 



SOILING HORSES. 



This class of stock is thought by many to be quite 

 unadapted to the soiling system, especially colts, as they 

 require exercise to develop the muscular power; soiling is 

 thought to require too close confinement. This arises 

 from a misconception of the flexibility of this system. 

 Soiling does not, necessarily, require the confinement of 

 animals any more than pasturing. It is true that pastur- 

 ing furnishes larger fields to range in; but nearly every 

 farm can devote a lane running to the wood lot as space 

 to exercise in. This lane is necessary for the convenience 

 of the farm, and generally furnishes a road to the different 

 parts of the tillable land and meadow. This will furnish 

 abundant room for colts to make trials of speed, and afford 

 all the exercise required to develop muscle. This runway 

 is easily fenced so substantially as wholly to prevent the 

 colts from jumping, and thus becoming troublesome. We 

 have raised a dozen colts in this way, and found them to 

 develop in every respect as well as those pastured. That 

 colts may be as little confined as possible, racks may be 

 arranged under a shed, into which the soiling food may 

 be placed, and the colts have access to it at all times. We 



