ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN S ASSOCIATION. 55 



EVENING SESSION. 



Wednesday, Dec. ii, 1879, 

 Upon the reassembling of the convention^ 



Topic No. 8 — ■'' Is it profitable to grind ' feed for the 

 dairy? if so, can it be profitably done on the farm?" 



This was considered a very practical question, and one 

 which was of great interest to all dairymen. Their atten- 

 tion was more particularly called to it last winter, during 

 the mud embargo of the roads. 



E. H. Seward said it was an important question ; but 

 just now, as grain is so cheap, it was a question as to profit, 

 between grinding and feeding whole. Grinding at home 

 costs a great deal. The iron mills only cut, they do not 

 grind. If there was some sure, cheap way, it might pay to 

 grind on the farm, but at the price of grain now it would 

 scarcely pay. If a few neighbors could unite in one mill — 

 and that a good one — he thought it might pay. Thought 

 to steam feed was better and much cheaper and made 

 better milk. Two bushels of rye would make five after it 

 was steamed, and would feed 45 cows one day. After 

 steaming it should be mixed with bran and fed warm. It 

 took longer to cook corn than rye. One bushel of rye is 

 equal to three bushels of oats for milk. His plan was an 

 upright steamer ; water flowed from an elevated tank ; the 

 grain was steamed in a barrel. About one and one- half 

 hours was consumed in cooking a batch. It was less labor 

 than grinding, and cheaper, for the fuel was no object as a 

 few cobs did the business. Stock prefer steamed to ground 



