QQ BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



is a cheaper source of stock food than hay at market prices, or any 

 other substitute we have at hand. The other is that a water}' food, 

 like fresh grass, increases the water contents of the milk without 

 increasing the valuable parts in the same ratio. In other words it 

 is an honest wa}' of watering the milk, and while the speaker, whom 

 3'ou refer to, has a clear conscience in taking water from the grass 

 he would not do it from the well. 



C. H. Cobb, member of the board from Androscoggin county: 



I think this question of feeding has been thoroughh' and well dis- 

 cussed by the speakers this evening ; and these questions through 

 the day have been so closely connected that the field has been 

 pretty well covered. 



The question under discussion at this time is one which any one 

 ma}' guess upon, but it is one on which we want to know that we 

 are right. When I commenced feeding quite a large amount of 

 stock, and feeding these cheaper foods that are raised upon the farm, 

 I had no chart for a guide, but commenced to feed b}' guess. I fed 

 my clover hay clear and ni}' herd's-grass hay clear. It was all 

 sorted as it was put into the mow and it was fed so ; the straw I 

 would feed clear, and the corn fodder I would feed as soon as it 

 was cut up, and feed it till it was all gone. I found that manner 

 of feeding was not giving very satisfactory results ; and before I 

 knew of any such tables as are reprepresented here, I found that 

 m}' cows would do better with oat straw or barley straw mixed with 

 clover hav and fed right along on it. This will give very fair re- 

 suits, but by adding cotton seed meal to this feed you get a very 

 much better result. Cotton seed meal is a good and, you may say, 

 a profitable food. How much of it to feed, is a question you should 

 give 3"our ver}" best and keenest judgment. I have seven cows at 

 the present time that I am feeding four quarts per day each, two in 

 the morning and two at night. 



QuKSTiox. How are you going to know that a cow is being in- 

 jured by cotton seed meal? 



Mr. Cobb. Just the same as you would if feeding corn meal : 

 they will commence to run to fat, and shrink in milk, so they are fit 

 for nothing but to butcher. And sometimes, as in feeding corn 

 meal, thej' will become gargety. 



Question. Are those healthy cows? 



Mr. Cobb. A healthy cow is one that will stand a feed of clover 

 hay mixed with straw, to the amount of twent}' to twenty-two 



