1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 141 



Professor Roberts. I recommended the use of hot water 

 for cattle sixteen years ago, before our State Dairymen's 

 Association at Norwich, N.Y., and got hissed off the stage. 

 Then, at a great banquet that night in the basement of the 

 Baptist Church, I got toasted in hot water. We commenced 

 warming the water for our cattle as an experiment, and we 

 found that the warmer we got it the better the animals liked 

 it, until we got it up to ninety degrees. If we got it hotter 

 than that they would put their noses into it, draw back, 

 throw their heads up, and then drink slowly ; but in the 

 course of a week our cows got so they refused any but hot 

 water. We have made some careful experiments, and find 

 that we save about fourteen per cent of the food by giving 

 the animal hot water. Some have made experiments with 

 better results than this. I know that our cattle like hot 

 water a great deal better than cold. 



Mr. Ware. You have objected to lukewarm water, — 

 why ? 



Professor Roberts. I will tell you the reason I have 

 objected to it. I have learned of the cow. I just ask her 

 the question, and she says, " I want my water hot." I say, 

 " All right ; you know best." 



Mr. B. J. Stone. If you had water under cover, and 

 there was no ice on it, would there be any advantage in 

 warming it? 



Professor Roberts. I think there would be a very 

 great advantage. We have the water for our cattle under 

 cover. 



Mr. Stone. I find that when I feed my cows dry food 

 they will drink twice a day and drink largely, and your 

 remark of their needing so much water to properly digest 

 their food struck me. My practice most of the time is to 

 feed moist food and steamed food, so that I have a boiler ; 

 and I find the cows do not care to drink a great deal of 

 water, not more than one-half or one-quarter what they 

 drink when they are fed with dry food. Sometimes they 

 will drink only every other day. I water them but once a 

 day. I would like to know whether I am losing anything 

 by not getting so much water into them. I cannot see any 

 decrease in their milk by their drinking less, in comparison 



