74 ON CUTTING AND PREPARING FEED. 



400 lbs. English bay cbopped, al ^16 per ton, 

 100 " fresh do. do. 4 " 



100 " sail do. do. 9 " 



3 bushels corn meal, 



4 " long red potatoes cho|)ped, 

 140 gallons pure water, 

 One man at ^8 per nnonlh. 

 Board of man at ^ 1 50 per week. 



Per day, $ 7 39 



Balance in favor of straw cutter, ^2 86 per day. 

 In addition to the above balance may be added an increase of 

 six gallons of milk, and likewise something for the improvement 

 of the condition of my whole stock." 



The above statement being in some respects deficient, and es- 

 pecially wanting the exactness which is extremely desirable in 

 such cases, I took the liberty, through the columns of the New- 

 England Farmer, of addressing some inquiries to Mr. Sheldon ; 

 and some extracts from his reply, which I here subjoin, will be 

 read with interest. 



" As it respects the queries of H. C. concerning the potatoes, 

 &tc., I will here give an account of the whole process. In a cen- 

 tral part of my barn, I have a room 18 by 12 feet ; this is ceiled 

 with boards which make it tight and warm. In this room is a 

 pump and a pen 10 by 10 feet, which is made water tight ; the 

 hay being chopped and thrown into a heap, outside this room, 

 early in the morning a sufficient quantity is put into the pen to 

 feed the whole stock once, to which is added water enough to 

 moisten it, then meal and potatoes, when the whole is mixed 

 with a four lined fork, until every part of the hay receives its pro- 

 portion of the meal and potatoes, then it is given to the cattle in 

 baskets. This process is followed three limes each day, morn- 

 ing, noon, and sunset ; the whole of which is performed, except- 

 ing giving it to the cattle, by a man whom 1 hire for eight dollars 

 per month. In regard to chopping the potatoes, I do not think 

 it is of much consequence, excepting they are more easily and 



