The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-03-03
VIM use Cut Feed.

An intelligent f,rmer asks for the philosophy OF cut
ting hay. lie can understand that |. IS useful to cut
corn stalks, and coarse fodder, because the cattle will eat
them better. But when cattle will eat up good English
hay perfectly clean, why should it be passed through
the hay cutter
Our friend evidently supposes, that the stomach does
It's work upon everything that passes into 1t, with equai
facility, and without asy tax upon the rest OF the system;
This is m~anifestly an error. All food has to De ground
I'D before it can be assimiIated, and pass into the circu-
!a.iou of the animal. If food is not ~arti6cially prepared
By cutting. grinding. or steaming, the animal has to pre-:
pare it himself. so far as he is able. Certain kinds OF
food will pass through the system, impartlng to 1t only
q part of their nutriment, because the teeth OF the AMI
NAL have not perfectly masticated it. Whole kernais
Of corn or of oats are frequently seen IN the feces OF
an old horse.
The more perfectly food can be prepared, the more
completely will the system appropriate its nutrlment.
If the whole labor of grinding up the food is thrown
unon the animal it is a serious tax upon the vital energy,
which every good farmer wants for other purposes In
the case of the horse and the OK, you want the strength
applied to locomotion and to draft. Whatever strength
is applied to grinding food, is so much taken away from
their CAPACITY for labor. If three or four hours OF strong
muscular labor are spent in working up hay and straw
into a pulp, there is a great loss Of strength and OF time.
In the case of fattening animals, you want the aliment
20 90 to the formation Of fat, and flesh This process
goes on successfully, just as the animal IS Kept quiet;
and comfortable. No useless labor should be expended
10 the g tUuIuR up vi
up the hay into fragments Of half an inch in length or
less, performs a good part Of the work Of the jaws, and
makes the feeding Of the animal a light matter. II the
hay could be ground up into a hne meal, 1t wcuia De
still better; as it would make the work of the animal
still lighter, and would more completely y'eld up ITS IS
nutriment. If i, could be steamed IL would be best OF
all as it would then be wholly appropriated.
We have no doubt that it pays quite as well to pass
hay through the machine, as the coarsest foddert "A
root.cutter is also an indispensable adjunct to the barn,
and the more perfectly it communities the roots the
better. -, :. 49,.
The farmer who has ever experimental with these
machines and marked the results of feeding with hay,
and roots prepared in this way, can have no doubt OF
their utility. Laziness, we apprehend, has quite as
much do with the neglect OF these machines as 'gno.
~,nce |. is worz to turn the crank to cut up hay
enough to feed twenty head OF CATTLE anu IN prospect
he);eve that il will not pay. Sioth, however, is a poor
connssl,or in This case. as in all others. We should as
soon think of feeding cattle in the open ne!a IL 'uAs
bleak winter weather, as Of feeding them with uncut
hay. A warm stable and a straw cutter are DOL" sooo
Investments American Agriculturlst.