CUTTING AND COOKING FOOD. 357 



md in this country stock feeders are just beginning to turn their 

 ittention to the subject. 



AMOUNT OF STRAW AND COARSE FODDER WASTED. 



"If we take the amount of grain and Indian corn raised in 

 ;he United States, as by the census of 1860, we shall find, by 

 lUowing forty bushels of grain to the ton of straw or corn fodder, 

 ;hat there were about 30,000,000 of tons. Now, at least one- 

 hird of this is wasted, for every purpose except manure, and 

 rast quantities not even used for that. Suppose we estimate this 

 bt one-half the value put upon it by Mr. Mechi, or five dollars per 

 on, and we have the enormous sum of $50,000,000 wasted, for 

 vant of proper economy, in a single year. "We beheve this 

 istimate much below the real loss." 



To this valuable essay of Mr. Stewart, we add a most oppor 

 une communication, from a thoroughly practical proprietor of a 

 ale mUk dairy, taken from a late number of "The Country 

 Gentleman, " published at Albany, N. Y. The article is from 

 kir. "Wm. Birnie, of Springfield, Mass. 



"I have practiced steaming feed for my stock since 1858, with 

 :onstantly increasing confidence in its economy. In the autumn 

 if that year I found myself with a stock of twenty head of cat- 

 le to carry through the' winter with the forage provided for six, 

 ,nd was consequently forced to cast about for the most econom- 

 sal method of solving that seemingly impracticable problem. I 

 mmediately set about preparing to cut and steam the fodder. 



" My barn is built on a side-hill, and is three stories in part, 

 lie principal story on which the barn floor is situated being level 

 j-ith the ground on the highest side, and used entirely for the 

 torage of hay, grain, &c. The next story below opens on to 

 be barnyard, and is used for stabling and a root cellar, being 

 nder ground at one end. Under a portion of this story is a 



