PART II— CROPS 



CHAPTER I 

 INTENSIVE SYSTEM OF CROPPING 



The losses sustained by a dairyman by reason of 

 scanty pastures during summer droughts are very 

 great. The dairy herd having once fallen in yield 

 of milk for any length of time will rarely recover 

 and return to its normal flow. The dairyman's 

 profits are not only reduced but the dealer or con- 

 sumer to whom he supplies milk or butter is disap- 

 pointed and there is trouble all along the line. It 

 is particularly important that the dairyman who 

 retails his milk have a constant supply from day to 

 da)^ and from month to month. The usual and ordi- 

 nary losses and difficulties could largely be over- 

 come by what is known as the intensive system of 

 dairy farming or the soiling system. This consists 

 in feeding farm animals a succession of green forage 

 crops in the field or stable during the summer period 

 instead of allowing them to run on pasture. 



Soiling is especially adapted to localities where 

 the value of land is high and pasture areas are 

 limited. It is adapted to steers as well as to dairy 

 cows. The use of the silo in summer feeding is tak- 

 ing the place of soiling to some extent, as it is used 



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