American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-29
Selling Stock.

IT seems little ridiculous in this, a
State of broad, fertile, unfenced, and I'M
occupied prairies, to talk of the practice
of soiling stock; and yet we have numer-
Gus small farmers situated so that they
cannot keep stock for want of pasture
room, that would be vastly benefited by
judicious application of the soillng
system.
There are three important advantages
resulting from this system of feeding.
First, it economies food; second, it saves
land; and third, it saves fencing.
These benefits are potent, and need no
argument. There are others that are
claimed for this system of feeding, but
they are of questionable advantage in a
State like ours, and we shall not refer to
them, but glance hastily at what we
esteem profitable crops for this system of
keeping stock.
Taking five acres of land as basis,
we estimate that it will keep three COWS,
or their equivalent in other stock, six
months of the year, by the ordinary
system of pasturing; and it must be good
pasture to do this.
By the soiling system the same amount
of land will keep seven COWS constantly,
if not eight-will keep them in as good
health, and will produce as good flow of
milk. This experience proves.
w hat are tnc InOSt CTOpS loI
soiling The main dependence must be
upon rye, clever and corn. After these
may be mentioned cabbage, oats, turnips,
| etc.
| The distribution of the land, in ouI
| Judgment, should be- one acre in rye, two
acres in clover, one and a half acres in
corn, and half acre in cabbage, etc. The
rye should be sowed the first half of Sep
TENDER, on rich, wel-prepared ground
| n,,1 Nrliv off nrI
feed into the fall and early winter, with
out detriment to the crop; and long before
grass comes in the spring, the rye will be
rank and luxuriant, and the first cutting
may commence from the Goth of April to
the first of May, owing somewhat to the
season. One acre of good rye, with a
little good hay, will last seven cows nearly
one month. By this time the clover will
do to cut, and ought to afford abundant
| feed for one and half months.
A part-say one-half acre-of the corn
ground should be sown broadcast, from
the goth of April to the LIST of May
another half acre nearly a month later,
and the remaining part of the ground
| from the list to the 10th of June. The
half acre devoted to cabbage may be
planted about the ordinary season-parl
of it planted to early cabbage, and the
rest to later varieties.
This succession of crops ought to, anC
we believe will, keep this number of COWS
until the 1st of December.
Adjoining the barn should be lot, OF
greater or less size, proportionate to the
number of cows in which should be shed:
or trees for shade and shelter; and in the
lot should be feed-racks and boxes, that
the stock may be fed here in pleasant
weather, instead of being confined in the
barn. The only other provision-and {
very important one, tools a plentiful
supply of good water.
If these requisites can be had, and the
above conditions fulfilled, there are many
of our twenty and thirty-acre farms thai
can, with profit, keep ten or fifteen COWS
and, kept by the soiling system, they will
furnish manure enough to make every
-Kansas Farmer