44 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



northwest of the Jura, which are limestone, the westerly- 

 part of Switzerland, called the limestone region ; and the 

 more easterly and southerly parts, which are granitic, and 

 abound in mica slate, and all those kinds of rocks into 

 which limestone enters only in a small proportion. Through- 

 out the limestone regions the cattle have a large, very strong 

 and solid skeleton ; while in the granitic region, of course, 

 the cattle are smaller. You thus see how necessary a supply 

 of lime is (for it is not phosphate of lime there, it is merely 

 limestone) to the building up of the frame of these animals. 

 Of course, where the materials for building the frame are 

 wanting, there must be a change in the condition of the 

 creature. 



Mr. AYetheeell. I will mention a fact which jDrobably 

 others have seen : that the milk producers in the neighbor- 

 hood of Chicago, feed their cows in winter largely on cured 

 clover-hay, and it was reported — with what truth I cannot 

 say — that dried clover-hay was pronounced the best forage 

 for making milk that farmers had ; that they could get more 

 milk from a given amount of forage of cured clover than 

 from any other dried verdure. 



Mr. Lewis. That is true. 



Mr. Flint. I should like to ask Mr. Lewis to state a 

 little more definitely the details of his method of feeding. 

 In Mr. Ellsworth's very valuable essay upon his method 

 of feeding, which appeared in the report of the proceedings of 

 the Board last year, he states quite carefully his process of 

 feeding. Mr. Lewis, as I understand him, says that he feeds 

 twice a day ; but he did not go quite so carefully into his 

 method of feeding, as Mr. Ellsworth did last year. I think 

 every dairy farmer here would be very glad to have him state 

 a little more clearly and definitely his exact method of feed- 

 ing ; whether he simply gives all the food at once, or whether 

 he pursues a method somewhat similar to that of Mr. Ells- 

 worth. 



Mr. Lewis. I don't know as I stated my method. It is 

 simply this : I difier a little from Mr. Ellsworth. You will 

 remember, those of you who heard his statement, or who have 

 read the report, that he stated that he fed poor fodder first, 

 followed it up with better feed, and finished with the best he 



