Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1855-12-06
SHELTER CHEAPER THAN FODDER.

SHELTER CHEAPER THAN FODDER.
Notwithstanding much that ha, been
written during few years past, especially
in the agricultural journals, on the true psin-
ciples Of winter protection and feeding Of
domestic snimsls, there is still . great T.
noun, Of costly ignorance on this subject.
Last winter we chsnced upon the farm of
. man who possessed fair share Of intel.i-
gence upon general matters, and We were
no. little surprised to find him still cling
ing TO the old opinion the, his stock winter
ed better when exposed to cold than If
warmly housed. He KEEP. no sccoun. Of the
amount of food consumed, but his observe.
sion had taugh, him, and truly ,tha, his sheep,
for instance, consumed more food in q cold
winter than in one Of moderate temperature;
and he reasoned ,ha, if they ate more i, in
dicsted better health and q faster growth of
flesh and wool, and Of course q greater profit.
Following ou. this opinion he kept flock
Of sheep in an open field, exposed to bleak
winds snd pelIing storms. Ia this field he
had placed number Of small stacks Of hay,
to one after another of which they had free
access, and upon which they made rapid in
roads. Their only shelter was afforded by
the Ieeward side Of these hay stacks and by
the stone walls that surrounded the field to-
pe.her with grove upon the northern side
that served 10 break off tho wind from tina,
direc,,on, bu. from entering which they
were prevented by the intervening fence
He wss quite cure they ate better when thus
exposed than if housed or allowed warm
shelter around and under the barn. His
other stock were treated in similar msn-
ner. Insiesd Of warm sheds or stables, they
fed and slep, in cold open yard. He said
i. KEEP, them in better ''hear,," and gave 'hem
a sharper appetite. As 10 The latter, he was
doubtless cnrrecI
Blu, he, like thousands Of others, had
drawn his conclusions from . false theory,
which few careful experiments would have
corrected. He should have considered that
The pro6.ableness Of keeping or nails de-
pends no, upon The absolute smoun. Of food
they consume, bu, upon the greater or less
produc. Of flesh, " wool, Sc, obtained from
gwen amour, Of nutrimenl. Had he weigh.
ed his ANIMALS in the fall, snd divided them,
keeping one par. in close, warm shed., or
stalls, and The other part in the cold siua-
ton, he would have perceived that The pro-
.ec.ed animals, while consuming less food,
gained more in weigh. than the others, and
in May or June would have been in supe-
r,or health and heart.
In the case referred TO, it was found ne
cesssry 10 give the sheep dose of tar, by
applying j. upon the noses, in the spring, to
operate a. o tonic, snd to coun.erac. the
running a. The nose,'' produced by cold',
which sheep "cs.ch,' ss we'll ss men.
There is . principle or Two involved in
feeding and nutrition which, il we'll under
s.ood by I'll who have the care Of animals,
would render their labor d"ublv profitable.
The food consumed BY animals serves .
double or treble purpose. II supplies tho
waste Of The system produced by the ns.u
1sI wear Of The various organs, and keeps
up respiration and The resulting heat. Whs.
is left after these ends are served goes 10 in-
crease the flesh or weight.
The ,vear depends upon the amoun. of
exercise tsken; hence the more quiet animals
are kep', after allowing just enough exercise
Ia preserve the orgsns in a heal,l,y atsle,
The less will be the amoun. Of food requited
10 supply the waste.
The heat Of the body results from the
consumption Of csrbonsceous food, especi-
ally The oily and s,archy portions. The
union Of the carbon in a istlow candle or
oil lamp with the surrounding air, produc-
ing the hes, snG the fame, has 81 ex.c.
coun,e,psr, in the lung, and blood of the
sn,m,l, when the sIr drawn in .. Iespirs.
,,on mites with The oily or fatty mailer in
The blood, and gives heat {" the system.
On a warm dsy not much heat is remov-
ed from The surface Of the 5odv, and the sni-
nal bre.shes less r.p'dIy and fully, aud less
fa. is consumed to supply w.s'ed heat.
II The esme amoun, Of oily food is con.
sumed snd disessed as on q cold day, there
will be larger surplus to be stored awsy
% fst.
A. Q matter Of course the colder The wea.
.her The less surplus ia. OF prof, will be OBJ.
tanned from tho food.
Another poin. usually overlooked is this:
In ,hs eosrser substances, such 90 hay and
straw, consumed by animals, there il bu, 3