Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-02-24
Gbe 4atrp.
AMERICAN DAIRYMEN'S
ASSOCIATION.
(Concl'uied from pagc s.

Hon. Harris Lewis was not, he said pre-
pared to answer this question. For those
darymen keeping large herds, and feeding
large quantities of coarse fodder, it may be
economical. He estimated the cost of cut
ting and cooking apparatus sufficient for Il
herd of fifty cows ut 5000, and the annual
cost of using the same, together with inter
est on investment and depreciation, by
rust, wear &C.. ut 1925, or enough to pur-
chase about fifteen tons of hay ut the average
price for the last dozen years. Some dairy
men who have tried cutting and cooking
food for stock, regard it us very economical,
saving at least onc-third of the ordinary cost
of wintering their dairy stock. Again.
others have tried the system, and regard it
not only rs non-paying, but injurious to the
cows. That II saving may be made by cut
ting and steaming coarse fodder, Mr.. l..
would not doubt, but he thought most per-
sons make the advantage too high over and
above the expense incurred. The cow has II
very perfect apparatus for cooking, cutting,
and grinding her food, and one who watches
her us she makes her meal might very natu-
rally conclude that he who made the COW,
with her wonderful food preparing appara-
tus, fully understood all her wants IN this
respect. DIR. Lyman excepted to the
figures given by Mr.. Lewis. He mentioned
II stock-keeper who purchased boiler for
$50; II homemade steam-boX cost perhaps
IS. In the box he places the food, the steam
rising from below. His fire is kept under
the boiler about four hours. He hired II
'new hand" or cheap laborer, for Sl2 per
month and board, to attend to the cooking.
His apparatus supplies food for 100 cows.
There is no expense beyond the outfit and
the labor to ran the machine. He is strong
in his advocacy of cooked food. He feeds it
warm-not hot He supplies just us much
as the cattle will eat. They nibble ut raw
food and consume the cooked. He thinks by
cooking he secures the same elements in his
winter food that exist in the summer
food.
Roots Recommended.
Mr.. Lewis advised the dairynen to pro-
vide some green food for their herds IN the
winter season, and thus approximate TO her
natural requirements to such degree that
her health, thrift and general usefulness may
be secured. TO do this let us secure suf1i-
cient amount of grass cut during that stage
of its growth when it contains al its nutri-
tive elements, for her winter food; in addi-
ton to this, just roots enough to keep her
good-natured, or in other words Just roots
enough to give to her dried grass the rcquir-
ed succulcnce Some dairymen may object
to this kind of food for COWS on account of
its cost but there are two sides to the ques-
ton. Hay costs about So per ton, and about
two tons are required to winter II COW. The
mangcl-wurzel costs about SO per ton, when
the crop is good, and the land on which they
arc grown well prepared. One ton of man
gels will keep II cow good-natured all winter,
but double that quantity may be fed to good
advantage. We will then estimate the hay
ut Sl2, and the roots mt SO, making the cost
of the winter food of each COW $ls, which all
will agree is not very expensive for the best
winter food for dairy cows attainablc. Mr..
Lewis concluded that roots possess value
us winter food for dairy COWS lar above the