The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-06-06

while the more land there is pasturej, and ,
the less there is devoted to raising crops
to feed and make manure. the less man.
IRE there will he made to apply to the
land Hence, wherever any considerable
increase in the Improvement Of the soil is
desired, there must be less pasturing and
more feeding and making manure. There
are two leading modes of doing this one
is stall feeding in the winter, and the
ether is house feeding in the summer, or
soiling. This system Of keeping stock is
especially adapted to keeping working
teams and cows. Young cattle and sheep
will be kept in some remote field or pas
turc or where there is no such pasture,
and on good land that can all be brought
into profitable rotation of crops, but lit
tie such stock will be kept. As to teams
many already keep them up matter of
convenience it is easier to feed and take
care of them in the stable than to take
them to and from distant pastures. This
may also be the case with cows it is but
little more work to feed and take care Of
them at the barn, than to bring them
up two or three times day to be MIXED
and watered. 1t is also found that cows
as well as teams,can be thus kept on much
less land, and that soiling is gradually
coming into practice on dairy farms
many still depending mainly on their
pastures, and only soiling in the dryer
part of the season, but some relying most
ly or entirely on soiling.
At a recent meeting of the Central
New York Farmers Club at Utica, as
reported in the Utica Herald, Mr.. Will
hanson gave an interesting account of his
experience in soiling cows. In 1869 he
kept eleven cows eight months on four
teen acres of land, that was only in fair
condition. Four acres of this land was
in sowed corn four in orchard and tim
othy grasses one in winter rye, and five
in pasture. The cows were also fed four
quarts of shorts and one pint of oilcake
each, per day they kept in good condi-
ton and did well. They were kept for
making butter, and turned SS5 each be-
sides the butter and milk used in a family
of six to eight persons. Last year he
kept fifteen cows entirely in the stable
and yard, where they were perfectly con-
tented. Their yield of milk was very
regular in quantity and not behind that Of
other diaries the net proceeds were
about the same as the year before. Mr..
W. speaks highly of soiling, and intends
to continue the practice until every foot
of his land shall produce four-iold, as
pretty much all the manures, liquid and
solid, are saved and applied where most
needed
WINTER STALL FEEDING.
TO make land rich with barn.yard
manure, stall feeding in the winter is pro-
badly the best course that can be pursu-
ed. This course is more especially adap-
ted TO general farming, where rotation
of crops and raising grain is practiced-
In dairy regions, soiling may be adopted;
although in grass sections, where corn
does well large preparations may be made
for winter feeding. But considerable
stall feeding is needed where grain is
largely grown; for to raise good deal OF
grain, a good deal of manure should be
made and applied.
In substituting stall.ieedng in the win.
ter for pasturing in the summer, it should
be leading object to grow large amount
of forage crops-hay. coarse grain and
roots-instead of keeping large proper
ton of the land for pasture. As labor is
scarce and high, these crops should be
calculated and arranged so as to require
as little labor as may be- For this pur
pose, as we'll as improving the soil, clover
3 holds the first rank. There is no labor tt
prepare the land for the crop; the pre-
paration for the grain crop to seed with
should put the land in good order fol
) clover. 1t is not an expensive crop tt
gather, as this can be mostly done by
machinery; while the hay makes richer
} manure than any other forage crop
!; Hence clover should be grown as largely
7 and frequently as possible. The only
; other crops needed, except those in tht
regular rotation, which should include {
, good crop, of corn, may be a certain a
7 mount Of sowed corn, and perhaps some
7 rye and oats, for soiling such teams ant
, stock as must be kept in the summer, an(
: a good supply of roots for winter feeding
3, Roots should be grown and fed, not 81
S much Tor the amount of feed and nutri
: ment that can be obtained,a for the gen
Fl eral health of the stock, and promote tn
, appetite and relish for land digestion Of
e other feed.
: In this way the whole farm can be de
: voted to raising crops to sell, or to thos
o that can be fed to make manure, and
i well managed, there should be good dea
Il more of both than can be secured wher
r any considerable portion of the land
o pastured. There should also be cor
: slant Improvement in the condition of tn
land, and eventually large increase j
the amount Of crops grown. This will b
4 due to three leading means Of improve
% ment first, to growing large amount {
y clover, (which may be managed to the be-
% advantage; second to making gre;
), deal more manure, as large amount {
~ crops are raised and saved for wintt
il feeding; and last to making a good de-
70 richer manure by feeding so much mol
- grain and clover hay. Farmers Of larl
If experience in this way Of feeding say th'
70 one load of manure, thus made in IL
q stables and kept under shelter, is wort
4 from two to three loads of the ordinar
:, manure made in barnyards