212 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
ness in that way. The nine milch cows which 
I bought to complete the herd cost, delivered at 
Four Oaks, $1012. 
All the grain fed to cows, horses, and hogs, 
and a portion of that fed to chickens, is ground 
fine before feeding. The grinding is done in 
the granary by a mill with a capacity of forty 
bushels an hour. We make corn meal, corn and 
cob meal, and oatmeal enough for a week’s sup- 
ply in a few hours. All hay and straw is cut 
fine, before being fed, by a power cutter in the 
forage barn, and from thence is taken by teams 
in box racks to the feeding rooms, where it is 
wetted with hot water and mixed with the 
ground feed for the cows and horses, and steamed 
or cooked with the ground feed for the hogs and 
hens. 
Alfalfa is the only hay used for the hens, and 
wonderfully good it is for them. Besides feed 
for the hogs, we have to provide ashes, salt, and 
charcoal for them. These three things are kept 
constantly before them in narrow troughs set so 
near the wall that they cannot get their feet into 
them. 
We carefully save all wood ashes for the hogs 
and hens, and we burn our own charcoal in a pit 
in the wood lot. Five cords of sound wood make 
an abundant supply for a year. I think this side 
dish constantly before swine goes a long way 
toward keeping them healthy. Clean pens, well- 
balanced and well-cooked food, pure water, and 
