32 FORAGE CROPS 
2. In wet spells, it is frequently difficult to 
harvest and cart the food to the animal, without 
injury to the land, and without reducing the 
palatability of the forage, although this also 
applies in part to pasturing. 
COST OF NUTRIENTS IN SOILING CROPS 
It is difficult to establish definite relations 
between the cost of food in soiling and in pasture, 
owing to the wide variety of conditions that occur. 
In the first place, in many soiling systems it is 
possible to utilize catch-crops (those grown between 
times, or incidental to other crops) at relatively little 
cost or to very great advantage. In other cases, 
in order that the continuity of supply of food may 
not be broken in complete soiling systems, it may 
be necessary to expend relatively large amounts 
for fertilizers, manures and seeds. On the other 
hand, in the case of the pasturing in many of the 
rougher sections of the country, land can be uti- 
lized that could not be profitably tilled, thus ena- 
bling the growing of suitable crops by the one 
system which would not be possible by the other. 
If land is expensive, and the markets for dairy 
products are good, the cost of nutrients per animal 
is relatively much less with soiling than with pas- 
turage, largely because of the decrease in the 
capital necessary to provide the land. 
