MAINTENANCE OF DAIRY HERDS.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 56, 27 October 1911, Page 4

MAINTENANCE OF DAIRY HERDS.

“soiling” sometimes advisable. (From a South African Newspaper). Doubtless most of our farmers know the meaning of the term “soiling” as applied to dairying. By the term is understood the practice of keeping the animals away from pasture and bringing their green food to them, in other words, “hand feeding.” Asa result of the prevalence of East Coast fever, at one time and another, in almost any 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 are somewhat experienced in this practice. And their sad experience has shown that dairy cows are expensive animals to keep when this practice has to be resorted to. Although this method, when compared with grazing, is costly, and absorbs a iair proportion of the profits, it cannot be said that it is not remunerative. Such a style of dairy farming would certainly be 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. Soilingjs an exceedingly common practice in thickly populated districts, while it is almost unknown in.sparsely settled districts, such as is- the case with practically everyone in South Africa, in spite 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 the country where dairyidg is followed, such as in close proxmity to the larger towns, that area, or land, is a great consideration, and if these small holders are desirous of continuing in this remunerative b an h of farming, they are compelled to feed their animals on an extremely limited area.

The reason of this “ soiling” is because in thickly populated parts of the country land is valuable and labour is, as a general rule, cheap, whilst in that of thinly populated, land is more easily procured and is cheaper and labour is a more expensive factor. In 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 becomes developed it becomes more and more necessary to get the greatest yield possible from each piece of land.

In the case of dairy cows, soiling does this as compared with pasturage. The chief reason is that the ground that produces the green food for cattle will produce a great deal more when it is not trampled.

Every pressure of the cow’s foot on the soil compacts it, and reduces its power to produce food. Injury results in both dry and wet weather. Sometimes a bare spot in a pasture will remain for several years unproductive. This is avoided by soiling, and the land is made to produce its greatest Crop of green food. Still another reason for soiling is the saving of manure. When the .manure is dropped on the pasture in dry weather much of its value is lost before it gets into the dry ground, but when the cows are kept in one place throughout the summer, the manure produced during that time is as great as it is during the winter months. It is then put into the soil of the ploughed fields, and practically the whole of it is saved, and can be employed on the field which is most in need of it. There are still other factors in favour of soiling were land is high. One of these is that crops other than grass can he grown on the land, and a greater amount of matter obtained than in the case of grass. Soiling makes it possible for

good-sized herds of cows to be kept on the edge of large towns where it wouid be impossible otherwise. In fact, it is one of the directions in which our dairying will be greatly developed in the future.