THE TIM BUNKEE, PAPERS. 195 



sell a new milch cow. The dairy farmer, who has his eye 

 teeth cut, will sell cows only when they are well fattened, 

 or at the close of the milking season.&quot; 



&quot; But s pose he has mor n he wants,&quot; said Seth inquir 

 ingly as he loaded his pipe. 



&quot; He has no business to be in that fix,&quot; I replied. He 

 raises a given quantity of hay, and rough fodder, corn 

 stalks, straw, pumpkins, roots, etc., and he ought to know 

 just how much it will take to bring them out in good con 

 dition in the spring. If he has only fodder enough for 

 twenty head of cattle, he makes a great mistake if he keeps 

 twenty-one, and is foolish if he attempts to keep five and 

 twenty. With food enough, he will make a profit on each ; 

 with too little, he will lose on every one.&quot; 



&quot; Lose every one? you ought to have said,&quot; interposed 

 Seth, with a knowing wink at Jake Frink for his recent 

 experience with the horn-ail. 



&quot; Cherry,&quot; I continued, &quot; is what I call a living commen 

 tary on roots. Mr. Spooner has a good deal to say about 

 the opinions of different commentators on this and that 

 text from which he preaches. I always thought that the 

 best commentary on a man s faith, was his practice. His 

 life shows well enough what sort of food his mind lives 

 on, and it is pretty much so with fodder. There s a good 

 deal of truth in the old adage The proof of the pudding 

 is in the eating. The kind of pudding my Cherry has 

 lived on all winter is. turnips, sugar beets, and good hay. 

 Not an ounce of meal, upon the honor of a gentleman, and 

 she gave milk until within two months of her calving. 

 You see, now, she is as sleek as a mole, with a bag as big 

 as a milk pail, and a fine calf.&quot; 



I put the case to my neighbors, Mr. Editor, in that way, 

 and made them see it. I know a good many farmers say 

 roots don t pay for raising, that they are all water when 

 not frozen ; and if they are frozen, you might as well feed 

 your cattle on snow banks. I know that the chemists say 



