AN ESSAY ON THE IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE IN THE CULTIVATION OF SMALL FARMS BY THE INTRODUCTION OF GREEN CROPS AND HOUSEFEEDING Originally published in an Address to the Small Farmers on the EARL OF GOSFORD AND COLONEL CLOSE, IN THE COUNTY OF ARMAGH. BY WILLIAM BLACKER, Esq. Tenants' Edition, PRICE 45S. PER HUNDRED. [The Profits on the Sale will be devoted to Charitable Purposes.] 1834. DUBLIN: WILLIAM CURRY, JUN., AND CO.: ARCHER, BELFAST; M'WATTERS, ARMAGH; RODWELL, LONDON. you for your own decision, and I fearlessly appeal to yourselves is it true that two to three acres (I make my calculation on two only) are frequently allotted to graze one cow during summer? And again-is it true that an acre of clover and grass seed, a rood of vetches, and three roods of turnips, with the stolen crop of rape after the vetches, will fully supply food for three cows the year round? I defy any one of you to reply to either of these questions in the negative. The straw of the farm, in any case, belongs to the cattle; but in the latter case, where turnips are provided for food, it is chiefly used for bedding, and the additional quantity of grain which will be raised by means of the encreased quantity of manured land, will always keep pace with the encrease of the stock, and provide the encreased quantity of bedding required. I think, therefore, I am warranted in considering my first assertion proved; namely, that the ground generally allotted to feed one cow, will in reality supply food for three-and have now only to offer some calculations as to the accumulation of manure, which I hope will be considered equally conclusive. During the summer months, your cow, which is only in the house at milking time, (and perhaps not even then, for the practice is sometimes to milk her in the field,) can afford little or no addition to the manure heap, being upon the grass both day and night; and even in winter and spring, whilst there is any open weather, they are always to be seen ranging over the fields in search of food, so that I think you cannot but admit that upon a calculation for the entire year round, the animal is not in the house more than eight hours out of the twenty-four, and it is only the manure made during this period which can be reckoned upon; therefore upon this supposition, (which I think is sufficiently correct to show the strength of my argument), if there is any truth in arithmetic, one cow fed as I calculate on, in the house for the entire twenty-four hours, will yield as much manure as three cows that are only kept in the house for eight hours-the quality of the food being supposed the same in both cases; and this would manifestly prove my assertion; namely, that one cow fed within, would give as much manure as three fed without : and therefore when three can be kept in the one way, as I have already shown, for one kept in the other, it is as clear as three times three make nine, that the result of the calculation will be just as I have stated— namely, that the farmer will obtain by the change of system nine times as much manure in the one case as he would have had in the other. Now if after all that has been said, (which seems to me at least quite convincing), any of you should be so astonished by the quantity of the manure thus proved to be gained as still to have some misgivings on the subject, and be inclined to think that matters would not turn out so favourable in practice as I have shown in theory, I would wish any such person to consider one very material point which I have not yet touched upon-for in the foregoing, the argument is founded entirely on the time the animals are kept within, viz.-it is stated that one cow kept within for twenty-four hours will give as much manure as three cows which are only kept in for eight hours, the food being assumed to be the same in both cases; but it is quite evident that if the cow kept within should be fed with turnips and bedded with the straw which the others are fed upon, leaving them little or no bedding whatever, that the calculation must turn decidedly in favour of the animal which is well fed and bedded, both as regards the quantity and quality of the manure-so that it appears the estimate I have made is decidedly under the mark. I may here be challenged to name any one who has really accumulated nine times as much manure in the manner I have stated to be practicable. My answer to this would be, that no one individual has thought it necessary to apply all the land formerly allotted to grazing his stock, to the purpose of raising green crops, to feed them on in the house. As fast as the manure heap has enabled them to do so, those who have adopted the house-feeding system, have been anxious to bring their useless grazing into potatoes, and wheat, or other grainenough of the old prejudice still remaining to make them think they were serving themselves by so doing* ; and they have not given the ground saved to the raising of turnips, mangold wurtzel, &c. and of course have not * I am well satisfied in my own mind that cattle crops will pay more at present in milk and butter than any other crops whatever, except flax or wheat and if the farmers' wives could be prevailed on to put less salt in their butter intended for the English market, the price would be greatly improved, and the Dutch butter would be driven out of the market. Should a farmer be induced to increase his stock, so as to make a firkin or half a firkin once a fortnight, the conveyance by steam is so rapid and so certain, that the butter might be safely exported to Liverpool or London nearly fresh, and those merchants engaged in the trade would do a public service by bespeaking from the farmers of their acquaintance, butter to be made up in this manner, and to export it under a different brand, which would soon bring the matter to proof. |