Year: 1877

~ sOILlNG STOCK.


EDITOR TINES The subioined Apri
cultural editorial in the New York Sun, OF
July 18th, on soiling' stock, is such an ap.
propriate supplement to my article on the
Fence law, that you will please republish it
tor the benefit of your readers One i'm.
: portant feature of the subject which es.
capped my notice is here alluded to; that is,
1.-The amount of forage destroyed or otherwise
rendered useless by stock running in pas.
,ture. CLODHOPPER


"The cultivation Of corn for fodder, both
In its green and dry state, has largely in,
creased during the past few years; and is
likely TO be considerably extended as land
becomes dear in the older and more tbickIv
settled States. In the dairy rcsion soilins
Of stock is rapidly increasing in favor, for
the farmers are beginning to learn that to
pasture their cattle is not the most econom
icai system which they can pursue, espe.
ciaily who're the land may be readily cult
vateG. As land becomes dearer and labor
Cheaper, there must be corresponding con-
centration Of capital, and higher culture of
all soil accessible to the plough and harrow.
Nearly half century ago Josiah Quincy
OF Massachusetts urged tho Importance of
adopting system of soiling of stock, in
preference to the almost universal practice
OF depending upon pasturage in summer,
which necessitated the use of large number
OF acres to keep srfeE head of cattle, when
the latter might be supplied from a small
area by judicious selection and cultivation
Qf animal rvoufo -
was Indian corn. Mr.. Quincy claimed that
the main advantages of soiling were: L.
The saving of land; 2. The saving of fen
DING; 8. The cnconomizing of food; 4.
The better condition and greater comfort of
the cattle; 8. The greater product of milk;
o. The acquisition of manure, which is neces-
sary to keep up the fertile condition of
tho soil -,


As regards his first point, "the saving of
land" it has long since been proved by ex-
periments that from four to six times as
many cattle can be kept on the same num-
ber of acres by soiling, as can be done by
pasturing, oven in localities, where the nat.
ural or introduced pasture grasses thrive
best. The other fivs propositions must be
self-evidsut to every good farmer, and we
will pass them without further comment,
merely noting the fact that it is not 80 much
what stock cat from the pasture as what
they destroy in obtaining their food. They
trample down much of the grass, their
droppings injure another portion, and in
resting they lie down upon another portion,
in each case making the grass so offensive that
it is seldom touched by them during the
season.


Looking at tho matter in the above light,
1t may readily be seen that animals destroy
far more food than they consume, which to
a certain extent is direct waste, calling
for large outlay of capital in laud without
any adequate return While it is doubtless
necessary for animals to take q certain
amount of exercise in order to keep them
IN health, it is poor economy to make them
travel miles, or all day long, in order to OBJ
tain sufficient food for comfortable sub
sistence. In fact, in poor pasture the
forced labor to obtain food often keeps the
animals poor, while the same amount, if of
easy access, would be sufficient to keep them
fat, or at least in good condition.


It is true that in soiling more labor Is
required to raise, prepare and deliver the
food to stock than when they are made to
gather it for themselves in pasture and
upon the cost of this depends the advisable
ity Of adopting the system in any particu-
lar locality. But as labor is steadily becoming
more abundant and cheaper, with every in
dication of still further decline in prices,
the principal objection to the soiling system
is gradually being removed, and it would be
well for our farmers to at once ascertain its
merits and see if it would not help many Of
them to increase their profits.


CROPS FOR soILINa.


Fall sown rye comes in for early cutting,
and is far ahead Of any crop which can be
raised from seed sown in spring. In the
Southern States, winter oats may take the
place Of rye, although they require much
richer soil Among the perennial plants
which come forward early in spring, the
alfalfa, or lucerne, and orchard grass de-
serve especial attention, both for soiling
and dry forage. Later in the season, In
dian corn must hold prominent position
in the list, for it is one of the most easily
raised Of all our forage plants, and yields
'mors tons per acre Of succulent and nu-
- h. okI, oc ~