FEEDING CATTLE. 185 



each acre of his mowing-lands. Then, if he tills but 

 half as much as he has done, how much time he will 

 have for making manure, — hatf the month of May and 

 half the month of June ! — Ed. 



FEEDING CATTLE. 



To the Editor of the Cultivator : 



I PRESUME that I shall express the feeling of many 

 armers when I say that the conflicting statements of 

 different agriculturists often confnse me, and leave me 

 in great doubt as to the proper course to pursue. Do 

 you answer, — try for yourself? But recollect how 

 little a man can accomplish in one short life, if you 

 oblige him to act upon his own experience alone. In 

 all things we constantly act upon an accumulated ex- 

 perience perhaps of ages. I turn, then, to you for ad- 

 vice, first upon cutting hay for cattle with a machine, 

 recommended by every agricultural publication, exten- 

 sively practised in England, and said to save an amount 

 of food from fifty to twenty-five per cent. Upon what 

 principle is it that this saving can be made ? in waste ? 

 This a careful feeder never permits, but, by feeding a 

 little, and often, causes every particle to be consumed 

 in mastication and digestion. In the case of ruminat- 

 ing animals, is not every portion of long hay complete- 

 ly digested ? aud, if completely digested, is not the 

 same nutriment obtained, whether, at the time of feed- 

 ing, it be one inch or one foot in length ? This exper- 

 iment cannot be made without an outlay of from $30 

 to $50 for a good machine, which a farm.er cannot 

 afford, except for some positive advantage. It appears 

 to me that, with your long experience and opportuni- 

 ties of obtaining the opinions of practical men, you may 

 give valuable advice upon this point. It is either for 

 the interest of the farmer to adopt the practice, or de- 



