CUTTING AND COOKING FOOD. 339 



dition. Then the experiment was continued by reducing the 

 quantity of middlings one-half, or two quarts, on which mixture 

 the animals did rather better than those upon hay, while, upon 

 reversing, those at first fed upon the hay when fed upon this 

 mixture did better than those on hay. Upon several trials after- 

 wards, it was uniformly found that a bushel of straw with two 

 quarts of middlings was quite equal to the same weight of cut 

 hay, and was worth twenty-five per cent, more than uncut hay. 

 It was found that the animals would eat twenty-five per cent, 

 more hay uncut than cut. The same experiment was then tried 

 with corn meal, and one and one-half pints were found to make 

 a bushel of straw equal to hay, though the formula is generally 

 given as a quart to a bushel of straw, which will render almost 

 any quality of straw equal to the same weight of good timothy 

 hay. 



"The writer has found for many years that he can winter his 

 stock in better condition on straw and middlings, or meal, in the 

 proportions given, than on hay. This is a large item near a good 

 hay market, and where straw is worth but little, or in a grain 

 country, where little else than straw is raised as fodder for ani- 

 mals. In this way all the coarse fodder on the farm, of every 

 description, may be consumed by animals, and thus turned into 

 money. Where steaming is practiced there is also a large profit. 

 Besides, this enables the feeder to prepare a special food to pro- 

 duce such special results as he may desire. It is well known 

 that the intelligent feeder may increase the frame, or muscle, or 

 fat of an animal exclusively, or he may increase them all together. 

 If he wishes to increase the frame and muscle particularly, he 

 will give food rich in phosphate of lime and gluten, without hav- 

 ing much oil or a large proportion of starch ; and for this pnr- 

 pose, pea or bean meal, mixed with his coarse fodder, will pro- 

 duce the desired result. If he wishes to lay on fat principally, 

 he will use corn meal or oil meal. If to produce growth of the 



