264 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



as before, or just previous to the finishing of the second fodder- 

 ing. By feeding in this way the cows are kept constantly eating, 

 and will consume all that is placed before them, leaving nothing 

 eatable in their manger. I then sweep out and am ready to 

 feed roots, meal, &c , which are given immediately. Then com- 

 mence to water by letting out only a few at a time and seeing 

 that all have a chance to drink, — thus allowing little or no time 

 between eating and drinking. The stable is then cleaned, and 

 they are returned as soon as they have drunk. They have 

 nothing more to eat until their afternoon meal, which is com- 

 menced at about half-past two o'clock, by feeding, watering, &c, 

 the same as in the morning, with the exception of the roots and 

 meal, which are all given at one time, and that in the morning. 

 I milk at night after watering. Nothing is fed after watering, 

 either morning or evening. 



By this method the cow has had two good meals, has drunk 

 twice, and has at least sixteen hours out of the twenty-four in 

 which to rest and quietly chew her cud. A stock of cows thus 

 tended will eat one-half coarse or poor quality of fodder, with 

 the rest of good hay and a very little grain, and keep in good 

 health and flesh, giving at the same time a good flow of milk. 

 When I have plenty of hay and rowen, I feed very little grain, 

 but now, since we have had short crops of hay, I use more meal. 

 For a milch cow I feed one quart of Indian and one quart of 

 cotton-seed meal and two quarts of shorts, with six of sliced 

 roots. This will make a good flow of milk without doing injury 

 in any manner to the cow. But if my object is to make beef 

 and milk at the same time, I increase the Indian meal according 

 to the size and capacity of the cow. 



When we tell a farmer, who feeds three meals a day, that his 

 cows would do better with but two, he can hardly believe it, 

 especially when he eats three times himself. Judging of the 

 wants of a cow from our own, we can readily see why she ap- 

 pears to want three meals a day after she has acquired the habit 

 of eating her daily food at three different times. Now if we are 

 convinced that this is a wrong habit, and feel sure that we know 

 a better one, should not this better one be substituted ? A cow 

 will drink more heartily as soon as she has eaten a full meal of 

 dry fodder than she will after she has begun to chew her cud. 

 After a cow has finished eating, it is natural for her to chew 



