Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-12-03
Winteripg Cattle and Horses.

Owing to the great drouth the past sum-
mer, in many parts of the country, winter
feed will be exceedingly scarce, and the
most rigid economy will be necessary t.
enable the farmers to carry their ordinar,
stock through the winter. What is the
cheapest method of wintering cattle, sheep
and her-es? always interesting ques
tion, becomes now most important one
and though We by no means pretend arbi.
trarily to answer it, yet We will endeavor
to throw out few hints that may be use
full. We would premise that no particu.
lar method can be laid down, that will be
applicable to all cases the climate, locali-
ty, nature of the crops grown, and prices
obtained for them, interfere with any such
calculations. A more serious draw back,
however, is the deplorable ignorance of US
all on the subject of nutrition; for were
the principles .: Du!rition well understood,
it would Le easy to alter our modes % u s.!
ing to suit circumstances, and so keep the
animals in the best aud most economical
manner.
Different breeds Of animals doubtless re-
qulre different amounts of food; yet, as a
general rule, it may be stated that animals
require an amount Of food in proportion to
their weight. That is to say, an animal
weighing 200 lbs. would require twice
the food per week as one weighing 600 lbs,
other things being equal. More food, too,
is required in cold than in temperate wealth
er-more wh.u the animal is worked than
when doing nothing. Alse, C ows giving milk
or when in calf, and young animals, require
more than an animal of the same weight
in perfectly normal state. If, too, we
wish an animal to lay on fat, We must give
more food-or rather the same quantity or
bulk Of food, but of more nutritious quail
ty-than would be necessary to keep it ir
a formal condition, or without increasing
or decreasing in weight
The amount of food necessary per week
to keep an animal in nor,nal condition
under the most favorable condition of
warmth is not accuratel y ascertained. The
amount of food, however, which animals
eat when given ad HJitum, depends to
u great extent on the per centage of ara't-
aJ4e non-nitroyeaoas substances it contains,
and not on the nitrogenous. Thus, an
animal fed on oilcake, peas OF beans, and
clover hay, will eat near three times as
much nitrogen as when fed with corn meal,
hay, &c, though it is probable that the
amount of available non-nitrogenous sub
stances eaten, is pretty much the same in
either case. The advantage, therefore, in
feeding a highly nitrogenous substance, is
not in the less amount required by the AMI
nal, but in the increased value of the ma
Euge and the Increased quantity of fat a
given amsant of neutrality-suspicious. food will
produce, when eaten in conjunction with
substances We are, however,
by no means to suppose that the rate II
increase is in eaact proportion to the per
centage Of nitrogen in the food, for i. is
not ; ropidty Of increase being attained
only at an increased proportional consump-
tion Of nitrogenous substances.
By aoai5ablenon-nitrogenous substances,
we mean sach substances as sugar, starch,
oil, gum, sc, which axe readily dissolved