178 WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
make the grass roots warm in winter, cool in summer and moist 
always. 
It is found necessary, sometimes, to scarify with a sharp 
cutting harrow the surface of pastures, and if there be any 
places not sufficiently seeded, (not thick enough,) to sow seeds 
to increase the number of plants. The best time for this work 
we have found to be in the last of August or first of Septem¬ 
ber, to be succeeded with mulching. 
We have said nothing of barn yard manure because we 
deem it best applied elsewhere ; but of the use of gypsum we 
can speak highly especially where white and red clover form 
part of the forage plants; it is considered essential among the 
dairy farmers of central New York. 
Soiling as an adjunct to pasturage has attracted 
much attention of late } T ears, and has been more or less fol¬ 
lowed by the best farmers, particularly those who have pur¬ 
sued the plan of giving their pastures the opportunity to re¬ 
cuperate before the winter cold begins, and also during the ear-, 
lier growth of grass. In the last of May and during the month of 
June a small quantity of sweet hay will be eaten with avidity 
by dairy cows, placed before them while in the milking 
stall; it serves to antidote the fluid state of the droppings, 
while it adds perceptably to the flow of milk. Later in the 
season, when the astringent qualities of the grasses become ap¬ 
parent, corn fed green, or better, when wilted by the sun, takes 
the place of grass, and comes as near to being a perfect substi¬ 
tute for it as any plant yet used for the purpose. Until land 
shall be dearer and labor cheaper, soiling will not be generally, 
or at least, entirely practiced, yet at seventy dollars an acre, it 
seems like waste to give a place to pasturage in any arrange¬ 
ment of the farm. At present it is a necessity; with so much 
uncultivated land, with farms in size partaking more of the na¬ 
ture of ranches we shall have to go on in the old ruts, till the 
new and better highway is formed. 
This brings us to consider the farm with reference to the 
winter feed of stock. 
