134 



found irrigation greatly encouraged the coarse aquatics, 

 particularly sprit ^ which I was not able to exterminate. 



I proceed to the second instance in which florin has 

 disappointed my expectations, and obliged me to retract 

 my high-soundino^ promises ; — I mean, as affording a steady 

 supply of valuable lohiter green food. 



That such a resource for our house cattle would have 

 been inestimable I well knew ; and when I saw my florin 

 meadows affording immense crops of rich green soil, from 

 November to March, greedily devoured by my cattle, I 

 had no doubts I had actually obtained this great deside- 

 ratum. 



I tried the experiment on a small scale, while my florin 

 was scant; and completely succeeding, I reconanended the 

 practice to the world. 



But when, by extending the culture of this grass, my 

 quantity of florin became very great, the result was no 

 longer the same ; for when I fed twelve or fourteen winter 

 milch and dry cows, with fresh-cut florin, I observed they 

 grew thin and out of condition. 



I now watched the process, and observed my people 

 gathered the green sward, (necessarily very wet in the 

 short brumal days) in large heaps, where it soon soured, 

 and became unhealthy food ; and I found, that it was dif- 

 ficult, almost to impossibility, to govern correctly the dis- 

 tribution of the unwieldy and perishable mass, to a great 

 number of house cattle. 



I have friends who ; having completely succeeded, still 

 persist in the practice, and recommend the continuance. 



Means might no doubt have been devised, under better 

 discipline, for correcting the inconvenience I have men- 

 tioned ; and I should have exerted myself to discover them, 

 had not a new objection occurred to the use of florin as a 

 winter green food. 



