SOILING. 



its aftion upon fuch earthy material'!, is highly ufeful in 

 bringing them into the ftate of manure for the improvement 

 of lands. See Manure. 



Some other forts of matters might likewife, in different 

 fituations, be employed in this manner with confiderable 

 benefit; fuch as iaw-dufl, when to be procured in large 

 quantities ; and the refufe materials of different manufac- 

 tories, as the weld of the callico-printer, the bark of the 

 tanner, &c. Many of thcfe kinds of fubftances are excel- 

 lent for the purpofe of manure. 



And in fupport of the advantages of this management, 

 various fafts have been flated by writers on farming. It is 

 remarked by the Rev. Mr. Duncan, in the fourth volume 

 of Communications, that he always keeps his work-horfes 

 on red clover through the fummer ; and they are as healthy 

 and fit for labour as any of his neighbours', that are turned 

 out into the paflure. Lall year he cut the clover three 

 times, and thirty falls or perches yielded as much as one 

 horfe was able to confume. He has frequently intended to 

 try a crop of goofe-grafs for hay, upon feme piece of 

 ground which was not to remain in paflure ; but he has al- 

 ways met with fome avocation, at the time when the feed 

 of this grafs could be procured. He is furprifed that 

 goofe-grafs has been fo long neglefted, nay defpifed. It is 

 confidered as a weed among rye-graf?, though he has ob- 

 ferved that the horfes are not of the fame opinion. Its hay 

 is mofl fubflantiai, and were it allowed to come to maturity, 

 its feed would, he fuppofes, be little inferior in weight to 

 oats, and wonld probably be an excellent fubflitute for 

 them in the food of horfes. And it is added, that he who 

 can procure 200 carts of dung, from the fame extent of 

 ground where 100 only were formerly produced, certainly 

 poiieffes a double power of improving it. A great referve 

 of ttraw is necelfary for litter to horfes, when living on red 

 clover. When the llraw fails, fome bed their horfes with 

 dried rufhes ; but rufhcs contribute very little to the manu- 

 fafture of dung. When fern, or, as it is fometimes called, 

 the " braken," can be gotten, he would recommend it as 

 next to draw for littering of horfes or black cattle, and as 

 the befl of all land vegetables for the dunghill. 



Mr. Rawfon in the fame work alfo higlily approves of, 

 and has long praftifed, the feeding of horfes and fpring 

 cattle in fummer upon clover ; he has found that an acre 

 of clover, cut and carried to the cattle and horfes in their 

 hovels and flails, will maintain double the quantity of flock 

 to an acre paflured ; befides the very great quantity of 

 manure produced by this mode of feeding, which fecures 

 almofl to a certainty the turnip crop. 



Alfo in a trial made by Mr. Mnre in foiling bullocks with 

 winter tares, as Hated in the Annals of Agriculture, the 

 advantages of this praftice over that of feeding in the paf- 

 tures is very fully fhewn. The fame fyflem of foiling has 

 been praflifed with advantage by many others, as Mr. J. 

 Wright, &c. 



Tlie fame fyflem has been carried to a far more confider- 

 able extent, and with a new and quite different objedl, at the 

 callico-printing works at Banniller Hall, near Preflon, in 

 the fame county, under the direftion and management of 

 Charles Swainfon, efq. Here the foiling with tares and 

 clover is praftifed with a view of procuring the pure dun'j- 

 of the cattle which is fo ufeful and neceffary in this fort oi 

 printing bufinefs, as well as for the common purpofes, and 

 producing a large fupply of milk. Tfie fyflem is praftifed 

 to the extent of twenty-live cows and fix horfes, by which 

 a prodigious faving of expence in the raifing and providing 

 C'.f .4.""g is made, as well as in the procuring of bay ; while 



the appearance and condition of th? cattle are far better th^i 

 in the ufual methods of managing them. 



The horfes are fome of them foiled upon and confume th« 

 refufe food from the cow?, fo that nothing is walled or loll. 

 The team-horfes are kept in the liable, the others in a fmall 

 enclofuie, eating their food out of racks. The litter em- 

 ployed is the weld which has been ufed in dyeing, but very 

 little of it is ufed, as the pure dung of the neat cattle is 

 a material objedl. ■ 



The cows are bound up in fhcds or cow-houfes, and kept I 

 properly fupplied with thefe forts of green food, in confc- 

 quence of which they give large quantities of excellent milk. 

 They are kept conllantly foiled in this way during the fum- 

 mer, except while they are confuming the after-grafs of the 

 meadows. And it is only the trouble and attention which 

 are required in raifing and providing other kinds cf green 

 food for winter ufe, which is wholly incompatible with large 

 works, that have prevented the fame praftice in feeding from 

 being followed during the winter feafoii, as the great fu- 

 periority and advantage of green food over that of dry in 

 the milking fyflem, as well as the railing of pure dung, are 

 well underilood. 



The cows, though confined to the houfe during the whole 

 of the day, are let out once or twice in that time for the 

 purpofe of exercife and water, but drink little under the 

 foiling praftice. There is often much advantage in varying 

 their food, in the quantity of milk which is afforded. Cows, 

 when tired of clover, will greedily devour tares, and thefe 

 lall when podded are found to be mofl excellent food in the 

 view of producing milk. The fame variety may likewife be 

 equally beneficial in the ufe of other forts of crops. 



It is confidered as of material importance in thi>; pradlice 

 with milch cows, that they are kept cool and in the 

 fhade. 



Sir Humphrey Davy thinks, that in feeding cattle with 

 green food, there are many advantages in the pradlice of 

 foiling, or fupplying them with food, where their manure is 

 prefervcd, out of the field ; the plants, it is conceived, are 

 lefs injured when cut, than when torn or jagged by the teeth 

 of the cattle, and no food is wafted by being trodden down. 

 The cattle are hkewife obliged to feed without making any 

 feleflion ; and in confequence the whole food is confumed : 

 the attachment or diflike to a particular kind of food ex- 

 hibited by animal>, affords, it is fuppofed, no proof of its 

 nutritive properties or powers, as cattle at firll refufe lin- 

 feed cake, one of the moll nutritive fubftances upon which 

 they can be fed. See Stock, Choke of Food in. 



Many llatements, which the nature of our work does not 

 allow our inferting, fufficiently prove the great benefits 

 which may be derived from a more general introduftion of 

 this practice in all cafes where it can be had recourfe to, 

 which are probably much more numerous than are commonly 

 fuppofed ; as in all places where there are lands proper for 

 the purpofe of raifing the neceffary forts of green crops, it 

 may be reforted to in the moft fuccefjful manner. The 

 great caufes which have retarded and prevented the fpread- 

 ing of the foiling fyftem of management would feem to be 

 the fear of the great expence of labour that attends it, and 

 the taking of farmers out of their ufual methods of cattle 

 feeding. The former has, however, been ftiewn to be a 

 mere nothing when compared with the number of animals ; 

 and the latter obvioufly deferves no attention whatever. It 

 is not improbable but that great benefit might alfo arife in 

 many inftanccs from foiling other forts of animals in this 

 way ; fuch as (beep, hogs, deer, &c. as vaft quantities of 

 manure would be produced, ai-d at the fame time the ani- 

 mals 



