PROFITS OF FEli'DING HAY. 49 



der wus fed to the stock, togctluT with ;ill tlie straw thut was raised 

 upon the farm and the concentrated food that was necessary. 



Question. Was this sweet corn fodder? 



Mr. Cobb. It was ; seven-eighths of it. Perhaps one-eighth 

 of it may have been yeUow corn. Sweet corn fodder is more pal- 

 atable than yellow. The cattle will cat it clean and it seems to do 

 them good. The crop of sweet corn that was taken off was sold 

 for enough to buy what concentrated food was necessary. 



Now it might seem that an}- man, starting out as he did and pur- 

 suing the same course with his crops, would do equally well. But 

 it is not alwa^'s so. There were other persons in that neighborhood 

 who tried, as they supposed, equally' hard who met wutli no such 

 success. The main secret of this success w^as that he saved everj' 

 mite of the dressing that the stock made while the others let it run 

 to waste. It is like the farmer who was so eager to get his pock- 

 et full of money, and when it came night he took it out and counted 

 it, and laid it down in a careless place and lost it. Many are buy- 

 ing food, even hay, and feeding it out to their stock while they let 

 the fertilizing elements which come from the stock run to waste. 



Question. Were these cows allowed to run in the pasture? 



Mr. Cobb. The}' were, from early spring till late in the fall, and 

 I presume they are in the pasture now three hours of the day. 

 They ought to be if they are not. But this time of year I am not 

 a believer in letting cattle stay out, unless they are at work, more 

 than two or three hours a day. How many larmers are there to- 

 day that are saving all the manure that comes from their stock. 

 The account which I have given shows that if it is saved it will 

 make a farmer well off, if not rich, in time. While a farmer is al- 

 lowing this waste he is certainly- going the other w'ay. Eveiy far- 

 mer that has not a chance to do this can have a chance very easily 

 and readily if he wishes. It can be saved in the barn cellar. In 

 many cases this is the cheapest wa}- ; in all cases, perhaps, it is the 

 handiest. Those who have not the convenience for a barn cellar 

 can save the manure very well b\' a tight floor in the tie-up, where 

 absorbents can be used. 



What does this do? It makes the farm worth more 3'ear by year, 

 and makes the work, as you ma}- see, a little harder, because the 

 crops that are produced every year are a little larger, and conse- 

 quently more stock must be kept each year to eat up the fodder that 

 has been raised the vear before. 



