THE STALK CROP. 183 



even when the latter have been cut before feeding ; 

 and on this single, unimportant, misunderstood fact, 

 the whole of their objection seems to be suspended. 



It is not to be denied that some portion of the cut 

 stover is sometimes left uneaten in the feeding-box, 

 though such cases will generally be found to arise 

 either from imperfect cutting, or from the unsound 

 condition of the stalk. If the stover is not cut suffi- 

 ciently small to accomplish the intended object, or if 

 it is mouldy from imperfect curing, these causes will 

 naturally make some difference in the amount con- 

 sumed. But waiving this explanation entirely, and 

 admitting the fact as broadly as it is asserted, that 

 some part of the stalks will be rejected whether cut or 

 uncut, it will yet be found that this fact itself, when 

 rightly considered, amounts to nothing whatever as 

 an argument against cutting or chaffing this fodder. 



For the purpose of illustrating this point, let us 

 suppose a case, and let us put the facts as strongly as 

 possible in favor of the objector. We will suppose 

 that some farmer, in order to test this principle, di- 

 vides his herd into three equal classes, feeding one- 

 third with whole stalks, another with the same fod- 

 der cut to half an inch, and the remaining third with 

 the stover finely chaffed and steamed. In order to 

 be more accurate, he weighs the fodder, giving to each 

 animal thirteen pounds at each feeding. After every 

 meal the feed-boxes are examined, and the quantity 

 left is carefully weighed. At the end of a week he 

 finds that the cattle of the first division, that were fed 

 with the whole stalks, have left, on an average, three 



