SOILING. 



urine, in order that it may be occafionally thrown up over 

 the litter, and thereby promote its fpeedy converfion into 

 manure. The manure afforded by fattening animals, fuch 

 as hogs and neat cattle, is in all feafons of a rich and valuable 

 quahty. 



But in order to enfure the fuUelt benefit and advan- 

 tage from this fyttem of management, the moft llrift atten- 

 tion is neceflary to different circumftances : fuch as thofe of 

 having convenient fheds and yards for the purpofe ; pro- 

 viding fuitable crops in proper fucceffion, to the proportion 

 of ftock to be kept ; the feeding and managing the animals 

 in a proper manner ; and the making a full provifion of the 

 materials, for the purpofe of littering down the ftalls 

 or farm-yards. And further, in this fyflem of manage- 

 ment, much depends on the convenience of the yards and 

 fheds, in refpeft to the economy of labour in feeding the 

 cattle, as well as making of manure : it is, of courfe, ne- 

 ceffary to have them upon fuch plans as may afford the 

 greateft advantage in thele ways. It has been fuggelled by 

 fome, in order to fave the labour and expence of cleaning 

 and feeding in this fyltem, to have the cattle left loofe in 

 the yards, fo as to confume the food from racks or cribs ; 

 the bottoms of the yards being prepared by marie, or other 

 fimilar materials, and a coat of litter appUed, fo as that the 

 urine may be ablorbed, retained, and contribute to the con- 

 verfion of them into manure. But a fuperior plan is pro- 

 bably that of having them tied up in ftalls, in (heds for the 

 purpofe ; as, although fomething may be gained in the 

 former mode in the labour of cleaning, the latter has con- 

 iiderable advantage in the goodnefs of the manure, and in 

 the animals being kept more quiet, and leis expofed to dif- 

 turbance from infefts of different kinds. In the former of 

 thefe modes, the llock fliould be forted, and thofe of the 

 fame age or fize fed together. 



In the experience of Mr. Clofe, it was found advan- 

 tageous to foil horfes in cheap thatched flieds, in which they 

 have room to walk and roll ; and with bullocks and covvi:, 

 in i^alls feven feet wide, each Hall holding two fattened by 

 the necks to the fides, by which they are prevented from in- 

 conveniencing each other vihile feeding. 



In this method of management, it is not unlikely that 

 great benefit might be produced by having low flieds fixed 

 up round the yards, or other places, with fuitable con- 

 trivances for the cattle receiving the food from, fo as to 

 caufe the lealt poffible lofs ; and by having the ftock in all 

 cafes properly forted, in regard to fize, kind, and Itrength. 

 Such (heds might, in fome inllances too, be provided, with 

 very great utility and convenience, near to the grounds 

 whence the food is railed and procured. In this way, a 

 great faving of labour and expence would neceiiarily be made 

 in different fituations. 



In all the cafes where low ffieds are made ufe of in tiiis 

 intention, there ought to be proper drains formed for con- 

 veying the urine and other fluid matters into the littered 

 yards, and other places defigned for forming manure, fo 

 that they may have a conllant operation in the preparation 

 of it. 



It may alfo be neceffary and beneficial, in this praftice, 

 fometimes to have different fets and forts of animals, in order 

 that the refufe of the food left by one fet may be eaten by 

 another, and no kind of lofs fullained. 



But in order that this bufincfs may be condufted in the 

 moft beneficial manner, it is neceffary the farmer fhould 

 carefully attend to the culture of fuch green crops as have 

 been mentioned above, and which can be beft applied in this 

 way, on a fcale fully fuilicient for this purpofe. In the 



view of early application, a full proportion of lucern ftiould 

 be raifed on the moft deep and fertile foils ; and on the better 

 forts of land, that may be in the condition of fallow, clover 

 and tare crops may be grown. Thefe mull be .'own fo as 

 to come into ufe at different times ; the firlt crop of winter 

 tares fucceeding to the early cut lucern ; the later put in 

 winter tares following, after which the clover will moll 

 probably be ready, to which the third crop of tares and the 

 fecond cut of lucern may fucceed ; at a fUU later period the 

 fpring tares may be employed ; and in fucceffion to this, 

 the third cutting of lucern will in general be ready. But 

 there are many other plants that may perhaps be made ufe 

 of in this way, as chicory, which may be had recourfe to 

 with advantage in this management ; as in foils that are 

 tolerably fertile, it will admit of repeated cutting. With 

 thefe different crops there will probably be feldom any ne- 

 ceflity for the ufe of common cut grafs ; though this may 

 be employed, if there fhould be occafion. The proper 

 foddering of the animals in this praftice is a matter of great 

 confequence. It is obferved in the Annals of Agriculture, 

 that one great objeft is never to fuffer them to have too 

 much at once ; as when this is the cafe, from the heat of 

 the feafon, it quickly takes on a degree of fermentation, 

 and is rejefted or only picked among by the cattle, in con- 

 fequence of which much wafte may be committed, which 

 would otherwife be avoided ; and in addition, it is not im- 

 probable but that the ftock may thrive better by having 

 their food more frequently, and of courfe in a more frefh 

 ftate. But it fhould never, on any account, be left packed 

 in the carts for any length of time. The beft mode feems 

 to be that of adapting the fize of the cart to the exaft. con- 

 fumption of the ftock ; as in this way, the whole may be 

 conveniently diftributed in the cribs or racks at once, the 

 moment it is wanted, before it becomes unpalatable by fer- 

 mentation, and the leaft poffible lofs may be incurred. It 

 is conftantly neceffary to watch the conduft of labourers 

 in this particular, as they are in general much difpofed to 

 over-feed. And there is another matter which fliould not be 

 difregarded, which is that of not fuffcring the crops that are 

 ufed in foiling to advance to too great a head ; as by atten- 

 tion in this refpeft, the food may be more cleanly eaten up 

 and confumed. 



However, it muft be obferved, a late writer fays, that in 

 this fyftem litter becomes an objeft of the greateft import- 

 ance, as the large quantity of urine that is made by cattle, 

 wlien foiled on thefe luxuriant forts of green food, is ca- 

 pable, by its moiltening property, of aiding in the hot fea- 

 fon, the more quick fermentation of fuch materials, and of 

 reducing a very large proportion into the ftate of manure. 

 In this view, the attentive farmer fhould, therefore, make 

 an abundant provifion, in the winter time, of other forts of 

 materials, where a proper fupply of ftraw cannot be re- 

 fervcd for the purpofe. There are various matters that may 

 be made ufe of in this intention, Inch as llubble, fern, rufhcs, 

 and other aquatic plants, which may be cut and raked to- 

 gether in the places in which they arc moft abundantly 

 produced, in order to he ftackcd up for future ufe. Leaves 

 might alfo, in woody fituations, be ufeful for the fame 

 purpofe. And in addition to tiiefe vegetable matters, there 

 are other fubllanccs that are capable of being employed 

 with utility, fuch as peat or bog earth, frelh vegetable 

 mould, fand, and the fcrapings of roads ; as during the dc- 

 compofition of the various vegetable materials made ufe of 

 in this praftice, not only much hydrogen and carbonic gas 

 are fet at liberty, but ammonia is formed in large quantities, 

 in the manner that has already been explained, which, from 



ita 



