Soiling experiment

Abstract

<p>The losses that occur annually to our farmers from the drying up of their pastures in July, August, and September, induced us to grow a few acres of green feed, and ascertain to what extent such feed, of different kinds, can be had from an acre of land; how much a cow requires of each kind, and the effect of such feeding on quantity and quality of milk, compared with well watered, well shaded, good blue grass pastures.</p> <p>Our dairies are mostly idle because the cows have gone dry. and the cows have gone dry because their pastures have failed and provision was not made on a large majority of farms to furnish them with something on which they could give milk. A succession of dry summers has regularly shortened our pastures, and made cows unprofitable, when all the elements of growth are present except moisture, or an arrangement of different crops sown at different times so that some one may always be at its best for cutting for green feed.</p>