KEEPING ONE COW. 105 



THE ELLSWORTH OR "BARRE" SYSTEM OP 

 FEEDING. 



BY D. D. SIADE, CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. 



My own experience, as well as that of others, has taught me that 

 a cow properly fed twice a day, will give more milk, and be in bet- 

 ter condition than when when fed three times, or more frequently. 

 This plan, which is known as the " Barre " system of feeding, may 

 be adopted throughout the year, although it has been chiefly ap- 

 plied to the winter months, in the region where it has been most 

 extensively pursued. 



The poorest quality of fodder is given first, at the commence- 

 ment of each meal, and before this is entirely consumed, another 

 foddering of a better quality is placed before the cow, and finally 

 a third, of the best hay. After this is consumed, roots, grain, etc., 

 may be given immediately. In this way, the animal employs on 

 an average about two hours at a meal which occurs only twice 

 during the day, with an interval of from six to seven hours be- 

 tween the morning and evening. Water, always slightly warmed, 

 in cold weather, is offered at once, and it will be found that the 

 cow will not drink so freely after she has begun to chew the cud. 

 No food should be given between the meals, which should be at 

 regular hours, and served with punctuality. So long as she chews 

 her cud, which in the well-fed cow is about six hours, we can rest 

 assured that her digestive organs have work enough before them, 

 and that we cannot reasonably call upon them to do more. 



The why and the wherefore of this system of feeding, which 

 we heartily advocate, are well told in the words of Mr. Ellsworth, 

 the originator. " The idea that a cow needs only two meals a day 

 during the winter season, as long as she is kept upon hay or Other 

 dried fodder, notwithstanding the fact that she will eat much 

 oftener, when obtaining her living from the pasture, may appear 

 to the casual observer, to be contradictory to itself ; but on a closer 

 investigation we shall notice a rational, and I believe satisfactory 

 reason for it. Of all the elements of which grass is composed, by 

 far the larger part is water, which must render it much more bulky 

 than an equal amount of hay, and for this reason, more is required 

 to supply the wants of the system. During the season, therefore, 

 when the cow must live by her own exertions, she must labor 

 most of the time to obtain the requisite amount of nourishment, 

 which she is not required to do while in the barn. "We must not 



