The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-12-22

looks very much like soiling but never
mind, we won't call it that, and then no.
body will be frightened.
After haying and harvesting there was
a temporary Improvement, For two weeks
cattle filled themselves tolerably well on
the upspriDging rowen or tender clover.
1t was costly feed. The farmer might
more economically have invited his cows
and sheep into the kitchen and given
them "table board" Meadows eaien
bare aud left unprotected for win,er--tbe
seed Of which cost six dollars bushel,
gnawcG to the roots these are sorry
sights for farmer who has the good of
bis land at heart They show not only Il
great present loss, but more important
suture impoverishment Of the soil And,
after all, the cattle didn't get enough.
Cows failed in their milk most provoking.
ly, just when butter was steadily going up
to forty cents pound. Judicious farm
crs fed their cattle-bought meal or mill
feed for their COWS, and kept their horses
in the stable. Lucky was the man who
had sown one or two acres OF corn fodder
or Hungarian grass. The difficulties of
curing it for winter use need have no ter.
rors for him his stock would make sure
and profitable market for it in August
and September If farmer had not any
succulent fodder this season, his cattle
must have suffered or been fed hay from
the barn.
1t is oil very well to pasture cattle,
provided it can be done according to the
programme. Pasturing saves great deal
Of trouble (besides making great deal)
but farmer feels safe trusting to pastur.
ing his stock on the heritage which nature
provides, when just as likely as not, ma.
ture will knock all his calculations into
smithereens by not providing any. No
doubt it is more natural for cattle to Craze
their own heroage rather than have it cut
for them. But we are not living in a
state Of nature, To begin with, there are
fences in the way In state of nature,
whom cattle cannot get feed in one sec.
ton, they migrate to where they can.
Fences, the first element of the pasture
system, makes this impossible How is
1t that sticklers for nature advocate o
policy which necessitates cutting the
whole country into ten.acre lots. with i'm.
passible barriers between
1t Is wholly question of expediency,
and to be determined by value of land
price Of labor, cost Of fencing material
and value Of manure. This last is an i'm.
rortant item. If n farmer needs more
fertilizers for his crops, as who does not /?
soiling cattle rather than pasturing them
Is the way to increase the manure pile
and bring the land into higher condition.
The experience Of the past season has
shown that whether farmers pasture or
not, they cannot safely ignore soiling
Men who believe in laying up for rainy
day, ought also to make some provision
for seasons when the rainy days don't
come. A piece of drilled corn for fodder
will come handy for winter use is no,
needed before, Most farmers will do
we'll to make beginning in soiling, keep.
ing their working horses in stable during
the summer, and feeding their milch
cows something extra whenever the pas.
lures fail. This is always good policy,
and nobody need call it soiing unless be
chooses. This plan will also utilize all
the advantages, such as they are, Of pas.
turing. After the first of September, much
Of the growth of clover and other succu.
lent grass can be eaten down with little
or no damage, provided the ground is dry.
by and by, as fencing material becomes
more costly, fences will be fewer and
fields larger. Wherever land is dear, the
space covered by fences, and the weeds
they harbor, are important items. The
old.fashioned Virginia worm fence is
relic Of the original wilderness from which
our civilization has been hcwn. The i'm.
proved agriculture to which we are com.
ing demands more labor, and no item will
pay better than tho time and work needed
in soiling cattle. For large sections of
the country soilug is, and long will be,
impossible but this is the misfortune
rather than the advantage of such regions.
They are not the sections which will show
the most rapid advance in agricultural
Improvement, W. Monroe County
~ Y.-Countrv Gent.