Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-06-26
9grit1ltursl Department.
Soiling Cattle.


TRls subject is becoming one Of especial in.
terest to farmers, and more particularly to
those who own small farms and are under the
necessity Of economsiug in srigid degree, in
order to support their families.
The principle and ecsnomy Of soiling is
{his, o. half an acre OF land can easily be made
TO furnish green food for COW or horse
during the season, till it becomes necessary TO
commence with winter feed in December, while
it requires from an acre and half to two
acres OF pasture to keep the same animal the
sans-length of time Besides this great say
ing of land, the manure of each animal soed
io worth the interest on two acres Of land, at
$50 per acre. over what it would be on the
common pastnrage system. To Offset por
ton Of this advantage, we must take into the
account the labor it requires to cut the green
fodder and feed it out daily and yet am
inclined so believe this labor is 40 more than
fair equivalent for the saving of time in driv-
ing stock to pasture, and keeping the fences
in condition far more expensive than the
soiling system requires. Indeed on this SIS
TEN, fences may be dispensed with altogether,
except enclosure and roadSdes.
Fencing materials are now becoming an
item of great expense to all farmers, net only
in the materials themselves, but also is the Ia
bor Of building the fences aud keeping them
in good repair Moreover, the waste land
that fences occupy (Which is very considera-
ble,) on the soiIiDg system may aii be cultivat.
ed-an item of considerable Importance on
small farms where the land is divided into
small fields.
To adopt this system with the best results
the land from which the green fodder is TO
comc should be adjointly the barn, level and
very fertile and with the abundance of ma
nuro that is procured by soiling, there is nc
difficulty in making the land rich and produc
tive.
The best article for aoling is clover. and
next to this is corn Sown in drills or brood
cast, oats, millet, rye, sugar cane ls0rghuml
barley, Hungarian grass, and any variety Of
grass that grows tall and luxurauL which is
relished by stock.
Sweet corn is the best to SOW for soiling
have used kind called Darling's prolific"
which is we'll adapted to this purpose on ac
count of its thrifty growth and is tendency
to tuler, or throw out numerous suckers. 1t
may be sown in drills about IS inches apart
with seed soHer Cattle are kept in much
better condition by soiIing them. They are
often turned out TO pasture too early u the
spring, before the grass is sufficiently grown
to afford them enough to satisfy their hunger,
and if there happens to be early drouth they
cannot thrive, and they will hardly get over
the effect Of bad winters keeping before
they enter upon another. On the song sys
tenn, drouth does not seriously affected the
stock, as their supply Of fodder is always green
suceuent and abundant
Independent of all the considerations Of
economy that have named, cows gives much
moe milk when seized, and yielded it more
regularly than when pastured, and the waste
of time, and the worrying of cows in driving
them to distant fields in warm weather are
avoided What can be more injurious TO
noble COW than to send al unfeeling boy to
drive her half mile to pasture every day
during the summer, with the thermometer OF
ten up to 80 degrees, while perhaps she is
worried by a dog, or pounded with club,
because she does hot happen to suit in her
gate, or otherwise, her driver Milk when
thus heated by improper driving of cows does
not produced as much cream as it does under
other circumstances, which is good argument
III favor of the soiliDg system Butter made
from the milk OF soi!ed COWS does not have that
oily appearance which is so often the case in
warm weather, when cows are driven to and
from the pasture. Nor is there any difficulty
in butter coming" i'll the warmest weather,
when soiled.
A farmer in Waltham, Mass is said TO have
made last season 386 lbs. of butter, from tie
milk of fonr cows, in thirteen weeks, fed on
green fodder-chtfy grass, and corn sowed
Jna out Of tbo
BARNARD during that time Two OF the ami
mails were heifers only two years old, which
Lad calves in the spriug, and the whole of the
milk of one of them was taken by her calf
during six weeks of the thirteen, and some OF
the milk Of the other was used 10 the family :;
from which circumstances it may be said that
the four COWS should not be rated, at more than
three ordinary ones.
A yard should be connected with the barn
of size proportionate to the number OF cat
tie soed For half dozen cows, about q
suarter of an acre is necessary, SO that the
weaker enes may not be annoyed by those
that arc stronger and prguacons. They
should have an open shed to lie under in Stor-
my weather during summer, and in November
they should be housed in their stalls at night
On this system of feeding, large quantities
of roots can be fed to advantage. Indeed, Leu
norman think that he can derive the greatest
possible profit from bis live stock who does
not grow root crops. Roots are the key to
all successful farming in England, and they
are almost as important here Carrots stand
at the head OF the list here, but the turnips
IN England. Every Mich COWS shoId be fed
half bushel of carrots, at least daily, from
November till June or some other equivalent
root that does not affect the milk p 8
Miner, Cor. of The Genesse Farmer.
TILLNG ORCHARD LANDs-It is doubtless