CUTTING AND COOKING FOOD. 341 



a small scale will pay mucli better on a large scale. It costs 

 more in proportion to make one wagon than one hundred ; so 

 it costs more in proportion to cut fodder for five animals than 

 for fifty. To show that it pays on a large scale, to cut hay, we 

 have only to refer to the fact that the large omnibus lines and 

 street railroad companies of our large cities cut all the hay and 

 coarse fodder used for their hundreds of horses. These com- 

 panies have learned, from practical experience, that the saving is 

 many times the cost of cutting. 



" When cutting is done for a large stock, with the largest size 

 two-horse machine, it takes but little longer to cut a ton of hay 

 than to handle it without cutting. Horse or steam power is much 

 cheaper than hand power when more than a few animals are to 

 be fed. 



STRAW CUTTERS. 



" Much improvement has been made within a few years in the 

 construction of straw cutters. It is of the highest importance in 

 selecting a machine, to get one that cuts short and with perfect 

 regularity; and to this end great attention must be paid to the 

 feed apparatus. Unless the hay or straw is delivered to the 

 knives with perfect regularity, the work will be badly done. The 

 greatest fault of most machines is the defect in this part of the 

 machinery. Some are fed by hand. These should be discarded, 

 as there can in this way be no regularity of cut. A short and 

 regular cut secured, next in importance is strength, simplicity, 

 and durability. The perfection of this kind of machine is yet to 

 be invented which shall mash or pulp the fodder. 



COOKING FOOD FOR ANIMALS. 



" Steaming food is less practised but even more important 

 than cutting. Cooking food for animals is of comparatively 

 recent date. A brief notice of its rationale will demonstrate its 

 imnortance, as well to animals as to man. 



