108 ANIMALS AND THEIR PRODUCTS. 



and not much more. There is then a loss of $250 

 This is a terrible drawback on the profits of farming. 

 We suppose that horses and working oxen pay for 

 their, wintering in work. Milch cows pay for their 

 keeping in milk. But stock cattle, fed on hay only, 

 paj^ in their increased value in the spring for only half 

 the hay they consume. If fed in the very best man- 

 ner, and kept as warm and comfortable as could be 

 desired, they require at least 2 per cent, of their live 

 weight of good hay daily, in order to keep them in a 

 thriving condition ; and the cost of this, at $10 a ton, 

 is more than the average increase in value by nearly 

 one-half This loss, which has long been felt and bit- 

 terly complained of, must be avoided by resorting to 

 mixed food. One pound of Indian meal is of about 

 equal value for feeding with 4 lb. of good hay, 6 lb. 

 of second quality hay, 8 lb. of oat straw cut, 10 lb. of 

 carrots, and 16 fb. of turnips. 



195. Here are six kinds of food for cattle, to which 

 may be added corn-stalks, making seven. No one of 

 the seven can be fed alone to growing cattle with pay- 

 ing results. But it does not follow that a just inter- 

 spersion of the whole may not pay well. A good 

 housewife often sets before her family costly dishes, 

 but she takes care to vary them, and to intersperse such 

 as are less expensive, but so well " got up," and with 

 all so timely, that they may be acceptable. So it is 

 with the wise feeder. Suppose he has twenty-five 

 head of stock cattle, averaging 9 or 10 cwt. live weight 

 each. If he feed them on the best of hay three times 

 pach day, he \7ill find that it requires 5 cwt., per day, 



