The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-03-02
Steaming Food for stock.

A practical Farmer" correspondent OF the
Germantown Telegraph, furnishes the following
information upon subject of much interest &c
cattle feeders.
Much has been said and writer of late in favor
of sscaming food for stock.--1hose who have
adopted the practice, present many insurmoun
table arguments in its favor, and in some cases
1t has been reduced to regular system, and the
principal indncement5 operating upon the minds Of
,hose who have thus deyiated from beaten tract;
being, iirsty, thegrea saving o food and secondly
the greater thrifty Of the animals when So fed
In a late number of the Lon lon Agricultural Ga.
'zstte Mr.. Laihbury, an extensive farmer pub.
liihe. the following remarks upon the subject -
During the past winter had ninety head Of
cattle and horses and fed them during the whole
time on steamed hay and straw. Up to the 18th
of February, kept all my stock on one. third hay
mixed with two-thrls straw. After that time,
finding my cows get in low condition, | used
half straw and half hay, and gave the milking
beasts foddering of hay morning and night As
they calved | added pint Of linseed oil to their
food. With this diet my cows grew tat, AMI go,
in milk AS we'll as ever remember them to have
done"
Contrasting bis consumption Of hay in this and
former wears, he calculated he had saved thirty
tons THE difference between the price Of thirty
tons OF hay and thirty tons Of straw, which sup
piled its place. recknoning hay at IS los, and
straw at 81 Is, would amount tn f67 los, while
the expense Of cutting and steaniing amounted to
less than ca"
By s,eaming We do not change the nature Of the
food submitted 10 the process it does not convert
spoor fodder into rieh its chief action and design
IS TO render greater per centum Of the nutri,ivc
particle contained in the mass digestible The
grinding of grain is beneficial simply from the
fact that by lis minute division every particle of
the Substance is experience is exposed to the juices
Of tho stomach. In hay there is much nutritious
matter, which escapes without contributing TO the
benefit Of the animal. its tbrous and hard tex.
ture prevents its bong thoroughly broken UP by
mssiica,ion.
Gould we device some method whereby the
diy'sion Of those substances used as food for an.
iinascould be economically and infinitely effected,
avery great saving would be secured; but this i.
not Practicable in all cases. BY cutting hay and
coarse FODDER into short lengths, and sotenng its
texture by steaming, we bring il to a condition
somewhat resembling the nature of green food
which Is easily crushed or masticated by the an.
imais, and the division ofits nutritive particles so
thoroughly effected by the process, that every par.
hcls, upon being taken into the stomach. is made
to yield Immediately i,s due quantity Of nutrment
A,u h.PPot W hc system The expense Of sca.
ming Is certainly no very serious objection to lis
adoption The necessary apparatus costs but
little. even when the stock to Be fed d large md
a. the business Is performed in winter, when there
Is little to occupy time, the cost Of labor as an
issm, scarcely deserves regard. -Franklin Incl.
tigencer. s'-',l.-a = ~
Much Of the above article is worthy Of imitation.
Last winter. we fed six oxen snd four cows ON
corn stalks, cut and steamed During the whole
time the oxen were hard at work, carting heavy
loads Of muck, each yoke carrying one ton Of muck
distance Of three miles, and carting three sucl,
loads day; still they were in fine condition, and
20 remained until spring. The cows gave voot
results, and received one feed Of carrots per da,
In addition TO the corn stalks Our method was /,
cut tho corn stalks quite short, fill hogshcad viii
them pour on five gallons Of boiling water con
ID tanning one gill Of salt and corcr the top with
blanket, when cold, the stalks were sprinkled will
ground feed and 30 served 70 the cattle. Til,
steanng renders i, tender .as when green, and IN,
cattle continued to eat them with avidity.--Ea N
J. Working Farmer. -