NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



357 



was counteracted by their not being fed and wa- 

 tered so frequently as they should have been — 

 Cattle should have food with much regularity at 

 least three times a day, and during the long win- 

 ter nights, particularly where the barn is so con- 

 veniently located with reference to the house as is 

 that of Mr. Dodge, a" fourth time (in the evening) 

 would be preferred. Where the food for twelve 

 hours is laid before the animal at one time, the 

 quantity is so great that much of it is necessarily 

 blown upon for a considerable time, and is not af- 

 terwards readily eaten. An animal deprived of 

 drink twenty-four hours would become quite thirs- 

 ty, and would, when allowed to drink, take into 

 the stomach a large quantity of water, which 

 would occasion suffering, both from the coldness, 

 until it became warmed by the internal animal 

 heat, and also by the distension of the stomach 

 which it would occasion. It has been found that 

 when cattle can drink at pleasure, they drink of- 

 ten, and in small quantities. It is desirable to 

 conform to the natural habits of our animals, so far 

 as is practicable. This mode of feeding, as applied 

 to the steers, is not the manner Mr. Dodge would 

 adopt for his whole stock, or which can be recom- 

 mended to farmers to pursue. The statement of 

 Mr. Dodge contains much valuable information, 

 n >t only in relation to feeding, but also as to the 

 amount of the solid manure voided by the cattle in 

 proportion to the hay consumed, which it is impor- 

 tant should be more generally known by farmers-; 

 and to this the liquid manure is to be added, in 

 order t i estimate the loss occasioned to a farm in 

 selling off the hay and straw grown upon it. 



The Committee, after having carefully consid- 

 ered the several statements of the different compe- 

 titors, have awarded the first premium of $30 to 

 Win. S. Lincoln; the second premium of $20 to 

 Amherst II. llawes. As to the statement of Mr. 

 Elawes, the Committee had at first some doubt 

 whel her it was proper for them to take it into co^. 

 sideration, he not having complied with all the re- 

 quirements of the society, in having failed to give 

 the average of the temperature in the barn as in- 

 dicated by the thermometer. Upon further exam- 

 ination, they found that the two oxen stood side 

 by side when in the barn, and when out, worked 

 side by side in the yoke, and were therefore "con- 

 stantly in the same temperature," and equally af- 

 fected by the warmth or cold to which they were 

 exposed, the average degree of which could only 

 be given as to the barn. It would therefore be 

 v. tv imperfect as applied to this case. That the 

 cold to which they were exposed, the average of 

 which could not be given, had an important bear- 

 ing upon the amount of food required for the sup- 

 port of the cattle, and the uses to which that fijod 

 must be applied, the Committee did not doubt; 

 and adjudged that they had been furnished in this 

 case with all the information of which they could 

 have availed themselves ; that the omission could 

 not have had any influence in their decision ; and 

 that they would therefore receive the statement as 

 a substantial compliance with the conditions im- 

 posed for the trial, and consider it accordingly. 



The Committee would fail in the discharge of 

 their duty, did they omit to express their strong 

 disapprobation of competitors assuming to decide 

 whether the regulations of the society are judicious 

 as applied to their case, and non-complying with 

 such rules as they do not approve : that is a ques- 



tion not submitted to them ; they should strictly 

 comply with all the requirements, and furnish the 

 desired information to be used in such manner by 

 the judges as in their discretion they may think 

 proper. 



The duty of the chairman was very easy, as the 

 decision of the Committee was made without the 

 necessity of an expression of an opinion from him. 

 He would, however, add, that he fully concurs 

 with them in the residt to which they arrived. — 

 He was charged by his associates with the duty of 

 expressing to Messrs. Demond and Dodge their 

 thanks and those of the society they represent, for 

 the time and trouble they have devoted to the at- 

 tainment of information which they believe to be 

 highly valuable to the agricultural community, and 

 from which they hope these gentlemen will derive 

 benefits which will more than compensate them for 

 the inconvenience these experiments have occa- 

 sioned them. 



In relation to the relative value that straw, tur- 

 nips, carrots and Indian corn meal bear to good 

 hay, the Committee have preferred to use the ta- 

 bles adopted by distinguished writers on agricul- 

 ture, than to rely on their own opinions. They 

 are, however, strongly impressed with the belief 

 that in this case the value of carrots and corn meal, 

 particularly the latter, is estimated too low, and 

 this opinion receives confirmation from the result 

 of the experiments of Hon. John Brooks. Had 

 they adopted their own estimates of the value of 

 these articles, the awards would have been the 

 same. 



All which is respectfully submitted, 

 By order of the Committee, 



John W. Lincoln, Chairman. 



STATEMENT OF CHARLES B. DEMOND. 



To the Committee of the Worcester County Agricultural So- 

 ciety on Ftcding: 



Gentlemen : — Not being fully satisfied in my 

 own mind as to the advantages or disadvantages of 

 cutting hay as food for stock, I was encouraged by 

 the society's premium to try an experiment. The 

 following are the results. The trial was made with 

 two cows, each 7 years old, of native breed and 

 ordinary size; they were dried about the 10th of 

 December, and kept during the month on coarse 

 fodder, meadow hay, oat straw, &c. On the first 

 day, of January the experiment commenced. No. 

 1 calved the 4th day of March, 1851. No. 2 calved 

 the 28th of February, 1851. Both cows are ex- 

 pected to come into the dairy on the 9th of March, 

 1852; they were fed on dry hay, with one-half 

 peck of turnips per day. 



No. 1. 



t-, , j. , ( Weight 870 lbs. 



led on cut hay, ) IT ° . ,,. ,, 



-p. , , J ' < Day eaten 31b lbs. 



rirst Z weeks, ) /-, • • • ■ . oi u 



' ( Gam in weight 24 lbs. 



T , ( Weight 894 lbs. 



Long bay ) H ° aten 284 . lhs . 

 Second 2 weeks, ) Q J n [n • ht 12 ^ 



Cut hay, 

 Third 2 weeks, 



Long hay, 



Weight 90G lbs. 

 Hay eaten 295 lbs. 

 Gain in weight 14 lbs. 



Weight 920 lbs. 



i.ongnay, { H ay eate n 279 lbs. 

 Fourth 2 weeks, ) Ga f Q j Q W(jight n ^ 



Gain during the trial Gl lbs. 



