66 ON CUTTING AND PREPARING FEED. 



been derived from adopting that practice. Experimenting on 

 that mode of distributing l)ay to the number of horses above 

 mentioned, I found or as nearly as 1 could calculate, a saving of 

 thirteen hundred pounds per month. 1 have since extended 

 the practice to the whole of my farm stock of cattle, and believe 

 the saving to be in the same ratio as staled relative to the horses, 

 In addition to this saving, may be added the advantage of an in- 

 termixture of cut corn stalks and other descriptions of food that 

 would not be eaten separately, and without being chaffed. My 

 horses and cattle are all healthy, and look well." 



The next statement which I shall give, is that of Thomas 

 Williamson, from the Bait. (Eng.) Society's papers, bearing 

 date, November 1812. 



" My horses, five in number, have been regularly worked at 

 the plough in pairs. The oxen, four in number, have worked in 

 collars, drawing generally a stout beaverstone plough, or a large 

 drag and scuffler. Their labor has been constant, and rather se- 

 vere. As our meadows began to fail us towards the end of Sep- 

 tember, owing to the quantity of stock upon them, it became ne- 

 cessary to allow the oxen more and better hay. The increased 

 expenditure alarmed me, as the four oxen and five horses con- 

 sumed no less than four tons within one month. This caused 

 me to prohibit the use of hay in the racks, and to feed all the 

 cattle with chaff, of which a boy can cut sufficient for daily use 

 in two hours. My servants not only ridiculed the change, but, 

 as far as they dared, opposed it in an underhanded manner, 

 by various pretexts and evasions. Aided by the care and vigi- 

 lance of the young gentleman with me, the system of chaff feed- 

 ing was fuliy established ; and the quantity needed for the horses 

 and oxen, separately, ascertained. 



" One hundred weight of hay was found to yield twenty bush- 

 els of chaff, pressed into the measure, and piled as high as it 

 could safely be carried ; consequently each bushel weighed about 

 5^ lbs. It was found that the five horses would eat twelve 

 ibushels of chaff during the twenty-four hours ; and that the four 

 oxen would consume an equal quantity in the same time. Ever 

 since the oxen liav£ been fed with chaff only, they have very 



