«F SCOTLAND.

54,5

One recorded instance, in the experience of the reporter,may be given as an elucidation of the economy and advan-tages of this practice *.

In summer 1806, he kept six work-horses and a riding po-ney in the fold-yard upon cut clover and tares for four months.Two acres of the first cutting of a good crop of clover andrye-grass were expended, along with half an acre of greentares, to carry them on till the clover would cut a secondtime. These, valued fully at seven guineas the acre,were worth L. 18 : 7 : 6. It required twelve acres of the se-cond cutting of the clover crop, at 80s. or L. 18, to carry onthe horses. Hence the whole expcnce of feeding seven horsesfor four months was L.36 : 7 : 6. The expcnce of cutting andleading is not included, as these may be considered as fullycompensated by the value of the disposable muck produced.

It would certainly have required six acres of the clover inpasture to have maintained the horses for four months. Es-timating these at L.8, 17 s. an acre, or the same value as al-ready stated for the two cuttings, the horses at pasture wouldhave cost, for the same period, L.61, 19s., leaving a fair profitof L.25:11 :G in favour of soiling, or L.2, 13s.for each horse.

The soiling of cattle, either tied up in sheds or allowed torun loose in the fold-yard, is more recent than with horses,and has not as yet become so general. From analogy, itmay certainly be inferred, that since it answers satisfactorilyfor horses, it will do equally well for cattle. It is quite obvi-ous, that any quantity of clover that is fit for cutting, may beconsumed in this way to the great benefit of the tillage far-mer, who generally stands in need of more dung, than can beaccumulated in the ordinary manner, from the straw of hisgrain crops. It is likewise obvious, that a much larger quan-tity of dung may be collected by this practice, than in the or-dinary way, while the quality is superior to every other kind,made on a farm or in the farm-yard, except that which is

VOL. i.

Berwickshire Report, p. 262.2 M