84 THE dairyman's manual. 



The buildings ^yere arranged as will be described in 

 the chapter on Dairy Barns and Buildings. The methods 

 of feeding are asiollows : The first crop in the spring is 

 fall-sown rye. When this is in head cutting begins. A 

 one-horse mower is taken to the field, and two days' 

 supply is cut. The mower is left in the field, covered 

 with a waterjDroof sheet for protection. A cart or 

 liglit wagon for the one horse is taken to the field, and 

 the supply for two days is drawn to the barn. One 

 day's supply is always kept ahead in the barn and one 

 is left in the field as a precaution against bad weather. 

 This is cut at night the first day, and afterwards each 

 day's cutting is left in the field, put up in cocks and cov- 

 ered with a large hay cap, and when it is brought into 

 the barn another cutting is made and left ready. The 

 second day's feeding is thrown into a heap on the barn 

 floor ; it will heat a little, but this is beneficial rather 

 than otherwise, as has been explained in the previous 

 chapter. 



The fodder is cut in a fodder cutter ; for a large herd 

 the horse or the bull may do the cutting, a tread-power 

 being kept in an annex to the barn, with a shaft or belt 

 passing through to the fodder cutter in the stable. A 

 large feed-box- receives the cut fodder. This is wetted, 

 the water being procured from a pump connected with a 

 cistern or well or spring, as the case may be ; but a cis- 

 tern is preferable and most economical, being supplied 

 from the barn roof. The grain food is mixed with the 

 wet fodder. This is kept on the floor above, and is let 

 down by a spout over the feed-box which is closed by a 

 draw slide. The food is well mixed with a five-tined 

 fork, so as to distribute the meal, etc., evenly. A large 

 grain scoop will hold enough for a ration for a cow. 

 The food may be carried to the feed troughs close by 

 in the scoop, or in a busliel basket ; one heaped bushel 

 being the usual ration for one meal. 



