Maintenance of Dairy Herds.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 October 1911, Page 4

Maintenance of Dairy Herds.

SOILING" SOMETIMES

ADVISABLE

(From a South , African News-

paper.)

Doubtless most of our farmers know the meaning of the. term "soil-

ing'' as applied to dairying. .By the. term is understood the practice of keeping the animals away from pasture find bringing their green iood to "them, in other words, "hand feeding." As a result of tho prevalence of I'last Coast fever, at one time and another, in almost every district of the Natal Province, and the necessity of stabling the dairy animals, it is reasonable to say that the. large majority of our farmers

I are- somewhat experienced in this practice. And their sad experience lias shown tltat dairy cows are expensive annuals to keep when this .practice has to be resorted to. Although I Ills method, when compared with grazing, i.s costly, and absorbs a- fair proportion of the profits, it cannot be .-aid that it is not re-niun-erative. Such a style of dairy farming would certainly he most foolish for the farmer to adopt. For the small holder, however, it is not the case. There are times with the latter which render the business essential, and the balance still falls on the right side. Soiling is an exceedingly common practice in thickly populated districts, while ft is almost unknown in sparsely settled districts, such as is the ease with practically everyone in iSouth Africa. In spitr> of the fact that there is tons of room in almost every district, in the country, it must not be forgotten that there are, certain parts of tli s country whore dairying is followed, such as in chise proximity to I he larger that area, or land, is a. groat consideration, and if those small holders are desirous of continuing n; this remunrrativo branch ol farming, they are compelled to feed their animals on an oxtreinel.v limited area.

The reason of this '''soiling" is because in thickly populated parts of the country land is valuable and labour is, :is a general rule, cheap, whilst in that of thinly populated, land is more easily procured and is cheaper ami labour i.s a more expensive factor. .hi the former class of country, therefore, the cheapest thing to do is to let the animals hunt, their own food.

As fast as a country In , comes doveloped it becomes more and moTC- noc-e.-'.s'HT to .m'.'t the greatest yield possible from >.>:ic!i piece of land.

In the c.'i.s,' of duii'vcows, soilino: dr.es tiiis as compared \v\lh jiastui , - a,'ie. chief reason is that tl'.c ground that produces the yreeii "ood for cattle will produce a deal more when it is not trampled.

Kvcry <il : tlx , cow's foot on i; l .'.' toil cc.nip'M'is it, and reduces its |kj\v(T to produf'o food. Injury results in both dry and wet weather. Sometimes a bare .-'pot in a pasture will remain for several years unproductive. This is avoided by soiling, and the land, is made to produce its gro-atf.sfc crop of u:reen food.

Still a no! her reason for soiling is the saving of manure. "Wh.cn the manure is dro|)ped on the pasture in dry weather much of its value is lots before it r;o[,s into the dry .around, but when cho eon-s nvo kept in on:> pl'U'O throiiivlmur the sum'mer. the manure prodnr-'-d during that time is as ixroat as if is .during the winter months. !(• is |l;on put into the soil of the ploughed fiel•'•«;. and practical!v [!;■.■■> " ho'o of it is snved. nnd fun b; , cniphiyd on tho field which is most, in neod of it.

There are «.tili otiber factors in favour of soiling whero land is hiab. One of thrso v\ tliat crops other than <ii-.",-s '"■nn hp r;rr)«- • . \<n ','?.?• and a groafor a.inrnint of matter obtained thnn in the ca=e 'of grass.

Soiling makes it possible for goodsizod linrds of cows to bo kept on the edge of largo towns whore it would be impossible otherwise. fn fact, it is one of the directions in which our dairying; will be greatly developed in the future.