PREPARATION OF FOOD. Sh, 



much cotton-seed meal, but I am satisfied that Indian meal is 

 not the kind of feed for cows. In my experience, rye or wheat 

 bran produces very much better results than corn meal. 



Charles L. Flint. It is well known to most farmers pres- 

 ent, that Mr. Birnie has experimented somewhat extensively 

 upon the methods of feeding stock, and I think when his 

 methods are studied carefully, it will be admitted that they are 

 judicious. At any rate, he has arrived at some satisfactory 

 conclusions in his own mind in reference to the preparation of 

 food for dairy cows. I think it would be exceedingly instruc- 

 tive and agreeable to everybody present to have him state, 

 somewhat in detail, the results, and his conclusions from his 

 experiments in the steaming and preparation of cattle food. 



Mr. Birnie. I am not prepared to give any detailed account, 

 so far as respects weights and measures. It is well known that 

 I have practised steaming the food for my cattle for ten or 

 eleven years, and I am satisfied that I savis more than twenty- 

 five per cent, by doing it, though I am sorry to say that very 

 few of my neighbors have adopted it, but some have, with 

 satisfactory results ; and I notice that a gentleman in the State 

 of New York has given some very satisfactory account of his 

 experiments in that line. 



I cut and steam almost all my fodder, feeding twice a day 

 with steamed food, and in the middle of the day with dry hay. 

 Corn stalks, rye straw, bog hay, anything I happen to have in 

 the way of coarse fodder, is cut and mixed with English hay — 

 perhaps one-half of the whole mess is good hay, the balance is a 

 mixture of the coarse fodder, with a little rye or wheat bran. 

 It is put through the cutting machine, then put into the steam- 

 box and steamed, and fed warm ; — taking care to keep my 

 cattle warm in the meantime. I make my stable just as warm 

 and comfortable as I can, and never let my cattle out, except on 

 warm days, when the sun is shining warm. Water is carried 

 into the stable, so that they can drink without going out. 

 Sometimes, in the coldest weather, they do not go out for a 

 fortnight. I think that is the better way, for turning them out 

 to exercise don't amount to anything. Turn a cow out into the 

 yard on a cold day, and she will stand in the same spot for 

 hours, unless you force her to move. Consequently, I do not 

 let my cattle out unless the weather is very pleasant. 



