204 



A System of Manuring. 



[JULY, 



maize, peas, and oats in summer, with some hay or dry fodder and 

 concentrated foods such as bran, oil meal, and gluten. The 

 expenditure on feeding stuffs was about ,£125 per annum. The 

 soiling crops used were : Green rye, beginning about May 1 stand 

 continuing about four weeks or until the rye was ready to be cut 

 for hay. Then timothy and clover were fed till peas and oats 

 were ready. When the latter were cut for hay, the silo was 

 opened (about July 4th), and silage was fed till early maize was 

 ready. Maize feeding was continued till the main crop of maize 

 was ready for cutting, and from that time forward silage was 

 fed daily till green rye was available in the spring. No abrupt 

 change was ever made in the system of feeding. The cows were 

 also given 4 oz. of salt daily mixed with their food. All hay 

 and green crops were cut into quarter-inch lengths before being 

 used either for food or bedding. Two silos had been erected on 

 the farm, each 10 ft. in diameter and 34 ft. high, holding 

 together about 100 tons of maize silage. 



Every green crop grown was utilised for soiling purposes, the 

 surplus being converted into hay or silage, but as every foot of 

 land is said to receive an abundance of manure, there was no 

 systematic rotation of crops. At least two crops a year were 

 harvested from most of the fields. 



The method of dealing with the manure was as follows : — 

 Behind each row of animals in the cattle-shed a gutter 18 in. 

 wide and 7 in. deep was placed. These gutters had no 

 outlet, but they were thoroughly cleaned daily and sprinkled 

 with dry ashes, whilst during the day a quantity of absorbent 

 material, such as leaf mould or dry turf, was placed in them. 

 Each gutter slopes slightly towards a door at one end, and the 

 manure is lifted into a cart, backed up against it. The cart goes 

 immediately to the field, and the manure is spread at once. In 

 summer it is spread on the land from which the soiling crops are 

 removed. In winter it is spread on the rye and grass fields — on 

 the latter particularly when the ground is too soft to place it 

 upon the rye fields. No manure is used on newly-seeded grass 

 lands, but the second and third year grass fields are top-dressed 

 in winter. 



The most important feature of this farm, it is observed, is the 

 manner of dealing with the manure. The fact that the stock are 



