Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-04
A1q1ltaya
Hom the American Traveller
XINSe Feeding,

Mr.. Editor:-Fanners differ in their opinions
in regard to the economy Of fall feeding now
lands, and the question is whether the food which
cattle collect will compensate the damage the
land sustains in being deprived of its coat at the
commencement of winter, which serves as q
protection to the grass ROOTS and afterwards de-
composes into valuable manure. | know there
is great convenience and an immediate profit
derived from field covered with luxurious Sec
ond-crop grass, to the dairyman or the beef-pro-
Queer: but when we consider the consequence
of close fall feeding, have been led to doubt
whether it be the most judicial course, consld-
cred in an economical view.
There are two evils resulting from close feed
ing our grass fields. One is the removal of the
protective fleece, so necessary for the preserva'
ton of the roots of air cultivated grasses during
winter The other is the destruction of the
roots of many of the better kinds of grasses
Observation teaches us that our crops Of grass
deteriOrate and become more puny after fall
feeding, and the better kinds of grass die out
and unless plentiful fleece is applied as a sub
sttute for the fleece taken off, the lands will
yield but two or three crops in succession, worth
harvesting, before the plough must be resortet
to, II the soil IS not uncommonly fertile. form
my opinion from observation, made upon the
difference between those fields which have beer
fed down and those %hich have not.
Overstockng pasturage land is quite as Diet
rimental to the prosperity Of the farmer 90 clos,
feeding his mow-lanls. When we look at the
effects OF overstocking our pastures, think any
one must be convinced it will subject the farm.
err to train OF evils which he would not willing.
ly submit to, and insfsod of benefit being de-
rived from such oycFstrained economy, he mus
sustain positive loss, In the first place, if hi'
intention is To- A;eI eef, he will find himself
dh-wlS te4 &a l...,,es MT qas,sii- supply
without excessive iaos s obtain it In the Sec
ond place, if his object is to rear stock Of
thriving cattle, he viii still meet with disap-
pointment in the growth of his stock, which will
be under the necessity of pursuing course Of
industry, to gain sCanty pttance, not at all IA
vorable to the increasa& size, and well adapted
to keep the animals n any condition but thriv-
ing one. In the third place, if milk is his OBJ
iect, he will find that his cows will not rank with
the first class. Their incessant labor to obtain
scanty subsistence will deprive them of that
r quiet repose which is SO necessary to COWS to
facilitate the secretion of milk, they being able
merely to collect suficiency of food to sup
ply the exhaustion caused by the lOborious pro-
cess Of gathering enough to sustain life, and des-
titute Of that extra supply of nutrition which is
necessary for the formation of milk He who
| pastures twelve COWS, where there is only feed
enough for nine, isloosing at least the interest
on three, besides teir natural decay; and that
! is not the whole oyl resulting from such man
agement, as l will endeavor to show. Half
starved cattle are Mt at all ceremonious about
) limits, they have 81 great desire for the &C
! QUESTION of terFitoy that they will not stop to