312 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



keep up the temperature. This case forms a very 

 distinct proof that warmth is an equivalent for 

 food. 



"But I need only refer you to the results of 

 your own experience, for every breeder of cattle 

 must he aware, in the wintering of young stock, 

 that they thrive better, with less consumption of 

 food, when kept well shelterd from cold and wet." 



Of the advantage in cutting hay for stock we 

 have in this country but little evidence. The 

 general opinion of farmers has been in favor of 

 cutting hay, where any considerable portion was 

 of inferior quality, especially if it was intended to 

 feed meal with it, that the whole might be mixed 

 together, and less would be wasted. So some ex- 

 periments have been had in feeding cut hay and 

 straw together, but the trials have not been car- 

 ried out so fully as to show the advantage (if any) 

 in cutting food for stock in the quantity eaten, and 

 if any, in what it consisted. Whether it would 

 pay to cut good hay, charging for the labor of 

 doing it, is a question of which there is much dif- 

 ference of opinion. Some have believed that by 

 the cutting of the hay, the digestion was aided ; 

 the animal being able to fill itself in less time, 

 would have more leisure to chew the cud, thereby 

 more completely extracting the nutritive qualities 

 from the hay and derive more benefit from it. 

 Others have contended that the animal eating the 

 same quantity of hay would be prejudiced in hav- 

 ing it cut — that in the eating of the long hay the 

 saliva which assists in digestion would be more 

 intimately mixed with the food, and more nourish- 

 ment would be extracted from it. This is denied 

 by the advocates of cutting. They claim that 

 the gastric juice is mixed with the food when chew- 

 ing the cud, and the animal having more time for 

 that operation, would realise most benefit from its 

 food. That there might be some slight benefit in 

 cutting good hay, as there was less liability of its 

 being wasted in getting a portion of it under their 

 feet, was admitted ; but it was said that this 

 would be very inconsiderable, if the cattle were 

 judiciously fed in small quantities and often ; and 

 it was contended that there could be no other ad 

 vantage in cutting hay, than in preventing waste 

 in some degree. 



The several statements of Messrs. Demond, 

 Dodge, Lincoln and Hawes are appended to this 

 report, as a part thereof, from which the following 

 facts will appear, from the statements made by 

 thein. 



BY MR. DEMOND. 



Cow No. 1, 7 years old, dried off about 10th 

 December, calved 4th March, 1851, expected to 

 come io about March 9, 1852. Trial commenced 

 January 1, 1852 — weight at commencement 870 

 lbs., at close of trial 931 lbs., mean weight 904 1-2 

 lbs., gain in 8 weeks 61 lbs., on cut hay 38 lbs., 

 on uncut hay 23 lbs.; eat in 8 weeks 1174 lbs. 

 hay — oil lbs. cut hay and 503 lbs. uncut hay. 



Cow No. 2, 7 years old, dried off about 10th 

 December last, calved 28th Feb'y, 1851, expected 

 to come in about 9th March, 1852. Trial beo-an 

 Jin'y 1, 1852; weight at commencement 850 lbs., 

 at end of trial 90'.) His., mean weight 879 1-2 lbs. ; 

 gain in 8 weeks 59 lbs. ; on cut hay 20 lbs., on 

 uncut hay 33 lbs. ; eat in 8 weeks 1140 lbs. — 560 

 lbs. cut and 586 uncut hay. 



In addition to the hay, each cow eat 1-2 peck 

 turnips per day, being 7 bushels to each cow, 



which is equivalent to 58 lbs. hay in value, mak- 

 ing Cow No. 1 equal to 1232 lbs., provided the 

 turnips were the common flat turnips, and Cow 

 No. 2, 1204 lbs., which would make their daily 

 food, as in hay, equal to 2 9-20 per cent, of their 

 live weight, or an addition of 1 lb. in weight for 

 every 20 3-10 lbs. hay, or its equivalent eaten. 



BY MR. DODGE. 



Near Steer, 3 years old this spring. Trial com- 

 menced Jan'y 3, 1852 — weight at commencement 

 1075 lbs., at close of trial 1125 lbs., mean weight 

 1100 lbs. ; gain in 8 weeks 50 lbs., on uncut hay 

 55 lbs., loss on cut hay 5 lbs. ; eat in 8 weeks 916 

 lbs. hay — 447 lbs. cut hay and 469 lbs. uncut hay. 



Off Steer, of the same age ; trial began at the 

 same time, weight at commencement 1080 lbs., at 

 close of trial 1160 lbs., mean weight 1120 lbs.; 

 gain in 8 weeks 80 lbs. — on cut hay, 75 lbs., on 

 uncut hay 5 lbs. ; eat in 8 weeks 949 lbs. hay — 

 469 lbs. cut and 480 lbs. uncut hay. 



During the 8 weeks each steer had 2 qts. meal 

 per day, which is equivalent to 293 lbs. hay, mak- 

 ing for near steer equal to 1209 lbs. hay, and for 

 off steer equal to 1242 lbs. hay — their daily con- 

 sumption of food was in hay equal to 2 per cent, 

 of their live weight, or 1 lb. in addition of weight 

 to every 18 85-100 lbs. of food equivalent to hay 

 eaten. 



BY MR. LINCOLN. 



Cow Beauty, 4 years old 13th May, 1852, calved 

 14th June, 1851, in milk, expected to have anoth- 

 er calf June 30, 1852. Trial commenced 9th Jan'y, 

 1852 ; weight at commencement 905 lbs., at close 

 of trial 1030 lbs., mean weight 967 1-2 lbs. ; gain 

 in 8 weeks 125 lbs. — on cut hay 100 lbs., on un- 

 cut hay 25 lbs. ; eat in 8 weeks 1354 3-8 lbs. — 

 685 7-8 lbs. cut and 668 1-2 lbs. uncut hay. 



Cow Cherry, 4 years old this spring, calved on 

 the 20th June, 1851, in milk, expected to have 

 another calf 14th May, 1852 ; weight at commence- 

 ment of trial Jan. 9, 1852, 815 lbs., at close of trial 

 850 lbs.; mean weight 832 1-2 lbs.; eat in 8 weeks 

 926 3-4 lbs.— 464 1-8 lbs. cut hay and 462 5-8 lbs. 

 uncut hay ; gain in 8 weeks 35 lbs. — 30 lbs. on 

 cut hay and 5 lbs. on uncut hay. 



In addition to the hay each cow eat 648 lbs. car- 

 rots, equal to 171 lbs. hay, which would make for 

 Beauty equal to 1525 3-8 lbs. hay ; for Cherry 

 1097 3-4 lbs. hay ; in the meantime Beauty gave 

 413 3-8 lbs. milk— 229 lbs. 4 1-2 oz. on cut hay, 

 and 184 lbs. 1-2 oz. on uncut hay ; Cherry gave 

 442 lbs. 15 oz. milk— 209 lbs. 13 1-2 oz. on cut 

 hay, 233 lbs. and 1 1-2 oz. on uncut hay ; the 

 daily food of Beauty was equivalent to 2 8-10 per 

 cent, of her live weight; Cherry to 2 4-10; the 

 gain of the two cows was 1 lb. of flesh for every 

 16 31-100 lbs. of food equivalent to hay eaten. 



BY MR. II A WES. 



Near Ox, 6 years old this spring, trial com- 

 menced 15th December, 1851 ; weight at com- 

 mencement of trial 1520 lbs., at close of 8 weeks 

 1646 lbs., at clnse of 11 weeks 1628 lbs.; mean 

 weight for 8 weeks 1583 lbs., 11 weeks 1574 lbs.; 

 gain in 8 weeks 126 lbs. — 120 on cut and (i lbs. on 

 uncut hay; gain in 11 weeks 108 lbs. — 122 lbs. on 

 cut hay, and loss on uncut hay 14 lbs.; having 

 eaten in 8 weeks 2106 lbs. hay, — 1078 lbs. cut and 

 1028 lbs. uncut hay; in 11 weeks 2925 lbs. hay — 

 1351 lbs. cut and 1574 lbs. uncut hay. 



Off Ox, of same age, and time of trial same ; 



