332 
THE CULTIVATOR. Nov. 
The great advantages of soiling are, however, deemed 
to be the increase of manure and the keeping of more 
eattle on the same land. 
“ The increase of manure from soiling is very far 
beyond what would be supposed by any one not expe¬ 
rienced. Where proper provision is made for this pur¬ 
pose, all the manure of the animals is saved, instead of 
being left and scattered either on the road-side, or in 
fields, to be dried up by the sun or washed away by the 
ram; and it is at hand to be applied as the farmer shall 
choose. It gives him an opportunity of converting all 
his long litter and the straw of his farm into the most 
valuable of manures, by using it as an absorbent for a 
large amount of the liquid portions of the excrements of 
his cattle. It affords him likewise the power by proper¬ 
ly constructed gutters and tanks, of saving his liquid 
manure—the best portion, if well managed, and, accor¬ 
ding to the estimation of many eminent farmers, com¬ 
pared with the solid portions of the manure, in point of 
value full two to one. 
“ The next great advantage of soiling is the increased 
stock which may be kept on the same land. From va¬ 
rious facts which have come under my observation, 
where the soil is carefully and judiciously cultivated, 
and duly manured, and a proper rotation observed, I 
believe that on land under artificial or esculent crops, 
three animals may be soiled where one only is now 
grazed. I believe this may be done with equal or su¬ 
perior advantage to the health and thrift of the animals, 
and that in most cases, the increase of valuable manure 
will much more than pay for any extraordinary trouble 
of attendance. 
“ Another advantage is the saving of interior fences 
upon a farm. Where cattle are kept constantly in 
barns or yards, the necessity of enclosures is of course 
done away; and separate from the saving of expense in 
the case, the convenience of cultivating in long lines 
and open fields, the saving of land, and the superior 
neatness of the cultivation, are great and obvious ad¬ 
vantages.’ J 
Mr. C. states that it has been determined by experi¬ 
ments which have been made in England, that of all 
food, grass fed green will produce the largest secretions 
of milk. “It is found, likewise, by experiment,” he 
says, “that in order to the largest secretions of milk, 
the temperature in which the animal is placed must be 
comfortable; she must be free from external annoyances, 
and she must be 1 at ease in her mind.’ ” 
Mr. Skilling, the manager of the school farm, of 
Glasnevin, near Dublin, practices soiling, and Mr. Col- 
man gives a sketch of his system. The animals are 
kept in houses or stables, which are well ventilated and 
kept perfectly clean. The animals are well curried 
and brushed every day. There is one particular person 
to superintend and pay attention to the feeding, “and 
one of the most important parts of his duty is, to ascer¬ 
tain the appetite of every beast. Cows, like other ani¬ 
mals, will eat less or more, and they ought to be sup¬ 
plied according as they require it, being kept rather 
with an appetite than otherwise.” After the animal 
has finished its meal, all the refuse is immediately taken 
away, and nothing allowed to remain in the manger 
before it. The cattle are fed at exact times. They 
well know the feeding hour and will be disappointed 
and fretted if neglected, and neglect is prejudicial both 
to milking and fattening. They should not be kept 
constantly to the same kind of food. “ No matter how 
nutritious in itself, there ought to be a variety; a 
change, if possible, for every leed.” He gives six feeds 
a day, summer and winter, beginning at six in the morn¬ 
ing and ending at nine in the evening, viz: at 6, 8, 12, 
3, 6, and 9. They get water in their stalls at ten in the 
morning and five in the afternoon, and are turned out 
for exercise from 10 to 11. The kinds of food are 
chiefly the following: In summer, at 6, perennial or 
Italian rye grass and clover; at 8, cabbages or leaves; 
at 12, cut hay and straw, (this being given to prevent 
the purgative tendency of the green food;) at 3, vetches; 
6, mangel wurzel leaves, rape, or other refuse from the 
farm or garden; at 9, clover or grass, or dry feed if the 
state of the bowels require it. In winter first feed with 
steamed food at 6; at 8 with turneps, raw; at 12, with 
cut hay and straw; at 3, with mangel wurzel, raw; at 
6, with steamed food; at 9, with hay and straw. Mr. 
Skilling adds—“ I have ascertained that when my pre¬ 
sent farm was in pasture, it pastured eigteen cows in 
summer; but now it feeds sixteen cows and three horses 
all the year round, and I have as large a portion of grain 
crops on the same land as most other people, besides.” 
Mr. Colman cites also the management of Mr. 
Blacker, the manager of Lord Gosford’s estates, in the 
county of Armagh, Ireland, where very great improve¬ 
ments have been made, and the condition of the tenantry 
much benefitted, within a few years, by the introduc¬ 
tion of the system of soiling. 
In regard to the practice of soiling in the United 
States, Mr. Colman thinks it may be done with good 
advantage in some instances, especially in the older 
states, and that it would enable farmers to “ keep three 
times the amount of stock they now keep, and to much 
more advantage with regard to produce and profit.” 
“The great means of improving our farms,” he adds* 
“ are in the amount of stock which we keep upon 
them, always premising, however, that the stock to be 
profitably kept, must be well kept; and while every far- 
farmer loses who does not keep all the stock his farm 
will carry, he perhaps loses still more who keeps more 
stock than he can keep well. But every effort should 
be made by a good farmer to increase the capacities of 
his farm to their utmost extent; and by the number of 
cattle and sheep which he can amply provide for, may 
be determined his means of enriching his farm and 
enlarging the profits of his husbandry.” 
BREEDING CATTLE. 
[The following judicious remarks in relation to the 
breeding and management of cattle, are taken from the 
“ American Herd Book,” an able work lately published 
by Lewis F. Allen, Esq., a few copies of which are for 
sale at our office.—E l.] 
To such as intend to breed cattle of decided excel¬ 
lence—and they, we hope, constitute all—we recom¬ 
mend them to select bulls of only moderate size, coupled 
with all the fineness of bone and limb, consistent with 
a proper masculine vigor and energy, coupled with 
fullness of carcass and ripeness of points; so as to em¬ 
body great substance within small compass. In addi¬ 
tion to this, let him be as deeply bred, that is, of as 
pure blood, and of as long ancestry (not depending alto¬ 
gether on the herd book for that, as many of the very 
best class of animals have comparatively short herd 
book pedigrees) as possible; and above all let him be 
descended of good milking stock, where milkers are to 
be bred in his progeny. Your cows we will presume 
are such as your opportunities have enabled you to pro¬ 
cure, but of approved blood. If the bull selected breed 
well to your cows, have no fears of continuing his servi¬ 
ces to a second, or even a third generation of his own 
get. Such practice will produce uniformity, and uni. 
formity is one great excellence. No matter for the 
color, so that it be within the Short-Horn colors. 
Above all things, avoid coarseness—looseness—flabbi¬ 
ness—and a general tendency in the animals to run 
their valuable points into offal. Such cattle, of 
whatever breed, are great consumers, bad handlers, 
light provers, tender of constitution, and unsatisfactory 
altogether. If you have an occasional production of 
this sort, transfer it to the shambles or elsewhere, with 
all dispatch. On the principle that “ like begets like,” 
which is an unerring law of nature in the long run, 
with the presence of such in your herd, you will be 
perpetually afflicted with the production of animals, 
which by hereditary descent, sympathy, and the thou¬ 
sand accidents springing from association, will be nei¬ 
ther creditable to your good breeding, nor satisfactory 
to yourself. 
Feed well: not lavishly. Your cows should be in 
good breeding and milking condition—nothing more 
