l66 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



spade, and with more ease to the operator. The 

 plants are then carted to the feeding place, whether 

 it be in a pasture, paddock, yard, shed or stable. 



All classes of live stock will devour the plants, 

 leaving only the woody stalks, unless in the case of 

 young lambs. For these they should be minced. 

 When fed to cows giving milk, care should be taken 

 lest too many be fed, and the cabbage should be 

 given just after each milking. When thus fed to 

 milch cows a considerable proportion of the whole 

 ration may consist of cabbage without imparting 

 to the milk any disagreeable taint. Every care 

 should be taken to a\'oid feeding cabbage leaves 

 which are partly decayed to cows giving milk, or 

 most unpleasant odors ^^•ill arise in the milk. 



The feeding of the crop may begin as soon as 

 it is mature or a little previous to maturity. The 

 feeding may continue ^^•ithout interruption until the 

 crop is entirely consumed. If winter threatens to 

 close in before the crop has been all fed, it should at 

 once be carted to some place convenient for feeding, 

 and also sheltered from the cold winds, as by the 

 side of a straw stack, and there piled up if need be 

 several feet deep and then covered with straw. The 

 i ceding from this pile may go on without interrup- 

 tion until the crop is consumed. The duration of 

 such feeding, however, is largely affected by climate. 

 In latitudes where the winters are mild, cabbage may 

 be stored for future feeding by stacking them in the 

 form of a ridge roof on the surface of the ground, 

 or from some distance below it, and mav be covered 

 with one or two feet of straw, rough litter, or marsh 

 hay, according as one or the other of these may be 



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