WINTER FEED OF COWS. 27 



allnsion is out of place just uow, and I beg your pardon for 

 making it. 



Now I will say a few words in regard to the winter food of 

 the dairy cow. I have already occupied as much time as I in- 

 tended to, and perhaps it would look better if I sat down, but 

 I can say that twenty years ago, I adopted in my winter ar- 

 rauiiements for feedino- and o'rowino- dairy stock, what is 

 known as the Barre system, feeding twice a day. Now, as to 

 food. I commence cutting my grass before it gets headed 

 out. By this means, I get the last cutting in the barn l)y the 

 time it ouo-lit to be cut. I know the rule is to leave it all un- 

 til all should be in the barn. Here, gentlemen, we make a 

 very great mistake. When grass is in blossom, it contains 

 all the nutriment, all the elements for the production of milk, 

 muscle, fat and butter, that it ever does, or ever can contain ; 

 and if you allow it to stand until after the seed commences to 

 form, it loses in value rapidly. It soon changes all of its nu- 

 tritious elements from the stalk to the seed, and the stalk 

 becomes worthless woody fibre. By all means, cut your grass 

 for your winter food while it is grass. Let a field of Timothy 

 stand until the last leaf has departed, the seed shelled from 

 the head, and the stalk standing alone in its glory, and it is not 

 half as good as oat-straw, — not half. Cut your grass early, 

 dry all the water out of it, and you have for winter feeding, 

 dried grass. For twenty-five years I experimented on a small 

 scale to ascertain what I could best use to feed in connection 

 Avith this dried grass, to restore back to the grass its original 

 succuleuce, — as nearly as possible what it contained while 

 growing. I tried to do it at the least expense, and I have 

 come to the conclusion that, on my place, with the little I 

 know about farming, I can do it cheapest and best with man- 

 gold-wurtzel. By feeding mangold-wurtzels to a cow each 

 day, in connection with my dried grass, I turn January into 

 June, to every intent and purpose. The cow has her grass, 

 restored to its original quality and succulence, the very food; 

 that nature designed she should have all the year round. 

 There is no other way that I have tried, by which I can do 

 this so cheaply, so effectually, so perfectly, as I can with man- 

 gold-wurtzel. I never have raised a crop that cost me over 

 seven cents and four mills per bushel, and I have grown crops. 



