Mobile register and journal., 1845-08-14
For lhe Neeistsr and lcnrnal.


 to the cultvntors Of the soil, also 10 many other important pursuits in our country and that IL ould be highly desirable that the subject should be, if pos sibe, accurately settled The economcn feeding of cattle, connected with the most successful, to pro- duce fine and valuable animal, Is now loudly called for by the State and agricultural progress of the | country. Occasional severe winters and unexpected short crops, admonish us loudly that knowledge of the best and most economical management of winter provender is essential 10 our interest," if attempt to rival Europe in the production of superior and val uable animals. for labor or for food.
 It IS highly gratifying 10 recollect that chemical science has been ardently labUrng this impor- tant subject, and il is evident that much is yet to be done. In the table alluded to Mir. Ellsworth gives the 100lbs of hay as standard, and equals il regards nutrment, 275lbs of green indian corn, 442lbs of rye straw, l64lbs cat straw, 339lhs man gel wurze, 504bs of urnps, 54'bs of rye, 59lbs of oats, 57bs of indian corn, l75bs boiled potatoes kc
 h his report for le44, Mir. Ellsworth gives ia {. be of the distinguished (agricutura chemist Bonis sngaut, bat which widely differs wh the first Assuming the l00lbs Of hay as d standard he makes equal to it in nutrimeni, 74Ibs of hay from VeIches 75bs of Lucerne hayi potatoes, QIish,) PSI lbs; carrots, 347 lbs; wheat and barley straw, 520bs oHtstraw, 574bs; rye straw 61lbs; turnips 6l 2bs; oats, 54lbs; rye, 5llbsi wheat, 49lbs; wheat. pea and oat chad, l67Ibs, Sc As regards the nutrition contained m oats and rye straw, these tables are al | pei feet variance with themselves and equally with | experience. feel confident that the estimate would asonish wagon master on lhe Pittsburg road or a feeder and father of steers for the NewYork, Pha- | delpha and BalIimole markets, and would suggest through your columns, that some of the intelligent gentlemen in both pursuits, give to the public their | practical knowledge this subj ect. Can it be pos. sibie that the estimate made and relied on for tlle last hundred years, by horse and cattle feeders, hns been deusion. In the Suuh we find that the car rot lays on fl on the hog with much rapidity, while on the raw Irish potatoe, hog would perish, where if boiled, they found of best iatleners of either hogs cattle.
 The last of these tables leaves rye straw compara-
 lively without any of ;he value that has been for gen. eratIons attached 10 t, as an article of winter food for cattle, making it the most inferior of straws, | placing lhe straw of oats and wheat that has been little vafued before the straw of rye, ruffage that has held heretofore, high place with wagon masters and cattle feeders. In the table of Bnuissingault, carrots stand 317lbs equal in nutrDent, to l00lbs of hay. confess this estimate, being the result of chemical investigation, astonisled me, and my surprise at all lessened by reading the fol. lowing, stated Tn the public papers to be from ihe | records ofthe New York Farmers Cub:-"A writ ten communication from Wm McKinster of Middle | town, Conn.,, the subject of soiling cattle, was read. He asserts that carrots are fully equivalent to oats bushel for bushe, in feeding horses in win ter-thal there is difference in the working ability of X horse fed on carrots and oats 'The Chair man''-A huslel of carrots cut up by power root cutter, is good bushe of oaIs for a work ing l actorily. have fed twelve quarts of sliced carrots, instead of twelve quarts of oats, to horse, the whole winter, and found difference in the result. l gave hay with the carrots, as do with the Now il will be seen in the table before mentioned | b4bs oats made equal to 100ibs of good hay, and that it takes 347lbs of carrots to be equivalent 10 l00lbs of good hay. u is impossible the strange difference in the result here, of chemical ana lysis and practical experiences and am comlell ed to say. it is calculated 10 make practical men l tl of G.. vestgalion. beg here 10 be understood that l fee a high qualification in the recollection of and an equal gratitude 10 those gentlemen for devotng their eminent tacRts to the subject of agriculture; but when the result of scientific research and practical facts widely differ, am compelled to hesitate in taking for granted the first. It is very evident that in the present enlightened of science, it is applied 10 agricultural pursuits, u could not do |, much greater service to the cultvator of the soil, than to settle concusvey the statements made in the table referred 10. It would enable those who cultivate the cath, tO know when they directing their abors to the most advantage. as regards the support of their animals, and 10 public con6- dence in the results of scientific theory il would be desirable 10 exhibit the result of practical experience | 10 correspond
 wonld respectfully suggest to practical men, feed err of cattle, horses, hogs, c in different establish ments to gUe to the country the result of their abors, in acquiring knowledge of the nuiritve character of different rufage, hay, straw and roots, as also gralns having in view their effect in producing the growth of the animal, well the attening effect
 From the result of the experience of number of of judcOus men, from different sections of the Union, we should be enabled 10 form comparative table, based ou experience and facts, highly valuable directory to farmers, and il would lead to correct decisons experience could make. guide, whatev- may offer, mol 10 be lost tight of for moment, by those who wish to arrive al the truth
 On the very opposite page in the report last men, toned, MT. Ellsworth gives paper which contra diets singularly the table ofBouissingault. of
 The following Is a portion of the remarks of MT. Lathbury, an extensive farmer, at late meeting of one of the English Farmers Clubs. We copy from the London Agricultural Gazette:
 "Wih regard to the steaming of food there were various opinions. The experiment which had been l tried, seemed to prove that advantage attended it in the case Of grain or roots; and though it admitted that the steamng of dry fodder, enabled cattle 10 extract larger portion of nuirment from given quantity, yet it doubted whether the of the process dd not outweigh the advantage gain ed. lie was of the opinion, that where the cost could be reduced to so insignificant a sum, by hls method, the advantage was great. By eating fodder into short lengths and steaUing, it was rendered tender and made to resemble green food. By steam ing, hay and straw might be made nutritious, and we might substitute portion of straw for hay, and still keep cattle doing as well as on dry hay nlone. During ihe past winter he had ninety head Of cattle and horses, and he fed them during the whole time on steamed hay and straw. Up to ihe l4th February he kept all his stock third hay, mixed with two thirds straw. Alter that, finding his cows got ia low condition, he used half straw ana half nay, and gave the milking beasts a fodder ing ofhay morning and night. As they calved, he added pound of nseed to their steamed food.- With this diet his COWS grew last and got into milk as well as he ever remembered.
 Contrasting his consumption of hay with former years he calculated that he had saved 30 lons."
 It is impossible to avoid seeing in this last prac- tcai account, of the nutritve value of straw, the great difference between the chemical result and con sequenl estimate of its nulrive properties, made by Boussngau, and the practical resuit with stock feeder. In previous paper, (page 3s6) there is an estimate of the flesh forming principles and the fat forming principle. found in different vegetable sub stances where we fad in one hundred pounds,-oa furnishes l0a flesh forming principle and 6S fat foiming-whle carrots gives only two of the first and ten Of the last; hay eight of the first and 6S of the last
 A number of circumstances have arisen, both abroad and at home during few years past. chang ing m no small degree the pursuit of agrcuture our country. New outlets for the productions of in- dusry on ihe one hand, and depressed markets on the other. We are evidently called on loudly to pros ceed Tor the future on wise ground, and 10 know from solid data what we doing in agriculture as well as m other pursuits. Economy must become the order of the day with all and in all occupations, while sound judgement, founded correct calcula- ton, can alone lead to fortunate results.
 beg leave respectfully to offer the foregoing alterations snfcient to induce those who have in their power contribute, they can, the result of well conducted experiments facts, that have come to their knowledge towards settling the actual value regards the comparative quantity ofnuriton they afford of the different articles of vegetable food that constitute throughout our country the food of ani mals, az also of roots and grain.
 Good common hay appears to have been adopted as the standard. With it's value as food for ani- mals, perhaps more persons can form correct esti .I.. --f.- -.l- |