The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1857-12-11
Winter Feed for Mich Cows.

Winter Feed for Mich Cows.
MEssRs. EDrToRs,-I wrote 10 you som,
time ago for information in relation to Savage
steam boiler, and mentioned to you that wa
sending milk to New York by the Harlem
railroad, and wanted to find the BEST way tc
heat water in sufficient qua ntilieS to Scald
feed for about thirty cows daily, through the
winter.
In your reply you requested me to write
for publication IN your paper, my mode Of
preparing COW feed in winter, and how feed
my cows in summer; and now, after some
delay will endeavor TO comply with youI re-
quest.
In summer, I turn them TO pasture, hav-
ing plenty Of rough land that is good for little
else.
In winter, their feed consists of corn, oats
and hay. | bring in a portion of my corn in
the stout, withou: husking, when sufficiently
dry, and stow it away for winter use. | then
cut the corn, together with oats in the sheaf,
and tread the mixture down in a large feed tub,
or hogshead with one head, and turn on fifty
or sixty gallons of boiling water, which sotteus
the corn SO that the cows can eat il with
out making their teeth sore, and the oats will
be perfectly cooked through, so that they will
all digest
I have one of Daniels patent feed cutters,
which purchased about three years ago at
cost of twenty-five dollars. It is calculated
to go by horsepower, but is the best hand pow
er cutter have ever seen, and when in good
order, two men will cut feed enough in one
hour for my thirty cows one day, or two feed
ings.
One hogshead fall of feed, we'll trod down
will make about thirty bafuIs, or one feed
ing for my cows feed them twice day
with this feed, and they have what hay they
want besides.
The advantage that find in preparing MY
feed in this way, over that of threshing and
grinding, is.
1st.- 1t is cheaper to cut my oats and corn than
TO thresh and husk the same
I'd save the trouble of carving nv corn
and oats two miles to mill, and bringing it home
again.
Sd. I save the toll, which is something of an
item.
4h, The whole of the oats, straw, chaff, &C.,
and the whole of the corn, stalks, husks, cobs.
silk and all, is eaten, except some of the larg-
est butt ends OF the stalks, are left, which con-
slider no loss, as they are not fit for any animal
10 eat.
9th. get more milk than can make out Of
dry feed and although I have tried no definite
experiments, am satisfied that the sane GUAM
tity of corn and oats prepared in this way will
so about as far again as TO thresh and grind
them, and throw away the straw and chaf.
which, fed dry, lin case COW can be coaxed
TO eat it, will only have the effect to dry up
her milk.
My cows eat their feed greedily, and with
two heaplng pallfuisa day to each COW, it re-
qulreS less hay to fill them up, and as each cow
gels three or four gallons of water in her seal
ded feed, night and morning, while standing in
her stall, they will not crave SO large quantity
OF cold water when let out in the morning. as
they would if fed on dry provender and nav
and the chilling effect of colo water taken in
large quantities, cannot be very favorable to III.
making Of milk.
Corn, to be fed in this way, should be plant
ed not over three feet apart each way. so thai
the stalks will aot be very coarse and the more
leafy, and although the ears will not be very +
large, yet they will probably yield as much
weight by the acre as when planted three and
a halt or four feet apart, aud particular care
should be taken TO have it secured and broupbt
IN good order.
The objection to this mode of preparing food.
Is the trouble and expense of heating water
which think might be greatly obviated bv
bringing into use some of the newly improved
boilers that are advertised for hpatinp houses.
Sc, with very little time and fuel and have
them so constructed as to adapt them 10 our
use.
believe this to be the true way TO feed oats
TO milking cows, but corn prepared in this way
does not perfectly digest, and ought to b. put into
large boiler, and by Standing few hours over
the same fire that it requires simply 10 boil /
the water the kernels will crack open aud be- |
come perfectly diges.ible | have practiced |
the latter course for two winters past with good |
success. by using wooden box with sheet |
iron bottom, but ii takes rather too much wood |
and the box gets dried up and out of order
every summer.
The object of my former inquiry was 10 find
some kind Of a boiler TO meet nv particular
wants, and any information in relation to the
subject through the columns of the Cultiyator.
will be thankfully received by subscriber-
Country GentltasGn.
We learn from the Lexington Mo, c3;-
zen that Charles Keller, one of Inc ne,.I.-