NEAT STOCK. 193 



NEAT STOCK. 



WORCESTER NORTH. 



Report of the Committee on the Winter Management of Stock. 



Five gentlemen have favored the committee appointed for 

 that purpose with an invitation to examine their management, 

 viz.: Messrs. John Brooks, Jr., of Princeton, George Chandler, 

 of Shirley, Jabez Fisher, James P. Putman and Benjamin Saf- 

 ford, of Fitchburg. We have called upon other farmers as we 

 have been in their neighborhood, who kindly received us and 

 showed us their stock, giving us much information in relation 

 to it. The object of this offer of premiums seems to direct our 

 inquiries to the manner of expending the crops of the season, 

 and to the returns received ; the number and condition of the 

 stock, quantity of manure, the way of keeping and using it, 

 amount of sales, &c. So far as your committee know, this is 

 something new and well worthy careful attention. 



January 26. We first visited, by request, the establishment 

 of John Brooks, Jr., of Princeton. His stock consists of thirty 

 head of neat cattle, viz.: thirteen cows, four two-year-old 

 heifers, three one-year-old do., and five calves ; two Devon and 

 two Ayrshire bulls, and two yoke of oxen ; ten of the cows are 

 Ayrshires and three Devons. He has four horses, two colts, and 

 two hogs. The weight of hay consumed daily by his neat 

 stock, of all ages, averages twenty-two pounds per head. The 

 estimated weight of his crop of hay is sixty-six tons. Feeds 

 five times a day, viz.: at six and seven, A. M., and at three, five, 

 and nine, P. M. ; the last time with coarse feed, such as straw 

 and corn fodder. The cattle are let out in the middle of the 

 day and have free access to water in the yard. He considers 

 hay worth eight dollars per ton for feeding out to stock ; gives 

 roots daily to milch cows and calves ; thinks turnips worth as 

 much as carrots for that purpose, and if given immediately 

 after milking they give no taste to the milk. He gives corn 

 and cob meal to cows after calving, has used cotton seed meal 

 to a limited extent, and thinks well of it. The hay-mow is 

 cut down with the hay-knife, and a root-cutter rapidly reduces 



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