270 Oattle Problems. 



stomach and bowels. Of course succulent grass needs no 

 addition of moisture, but in tlie fall and winter, the feed 

 of cows, in milk, should be brought as near to the consist- 

 ency of grass, as practicable by the infusion of moisture. 



In feeding cheap grain, or corn, we should prefer to 

 grind rather fine, and mix the meal with chopped hay. 

 First steep the hay or chaff in warm water for a short 

 time ; then drain off the moisture, and put chaff in man- 

 ger, and then sprinkle on the meal. The reason for using 

 warm water is that it is absorbed more rapidly. Feed 

 should be cool when fed. 



In bringing chaff or any other dry feed to the consist- 

 ency of grass, slow steaming is a good method, and need 

 not be costly. We should prefer hay to short chaff, as 

 hay must be masticated, which is important in changing 

 starch to sugar, and in preparing food for close digestion. 

 Meal sticks to and mixes with damp feed. Some cows 

 may be able to dilute their dry food to a moist consist- 

 ency by drinking water at the right time ; but frequently 

 they do not get water when it is most required. If the 

 moisture be supplied in the food, there can be no loss in 

 yield from want of moisture to increase the solvency of 

 the food. 



There is so great a demand for cows of large yield that 

 if all the good cows in the Netherland country were ob- 

 tained, they would not supply it. Hence we are endeav- 

 oring to show how good milkers are produced. 



Much effort in feeding to increase yield is being made. 

 Indeed, in Illinois they are talking about raising the yield 

 to 6,000 or 7,000 lbs. of milk per cow in a season. Dr. 

 Tefft, of Elgin, is said to have had a cow — in 1879 — that 

 yielded 12,000 lbs. of milk in one, and 11,000 lbs. in 

 another season. This indicates an engorging excess in 

 blood and yield, that results from treating the cows as 

 though they were machines. We expect several conse- 



