Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-19
Straws from q HaY.Stack.---No. /.
Jan. Z. 1860.

EDITOR OF FREEMAN Il am much pleas
ed with the agricultural department of you
valuable paper. 1t is very easy matter t,
make the Green Mt. Farmer the leading az
ricultural paper in the New England States
There is no State in the Union that ex
GELS Vermont in agricultural pursuits. Thel
why not herald it to the world through til,
appropriate columns Of the Green Mt. Far
mer, and let our sister States know that there
is talent among the Industrious farmers O.
Vermont, and our own farmers become bet
ter acquainted with the facts themselves p
Farmers and farmers sons, rally to the call.
ing. Who is afraid? 1t is not expected
that we can write like Prescott and Irving.
However, let us do the best we can, and the
Editor will correct all mistakes, and make
our writings appear, at least, creditable to
ourselves.
cheerfully respond to your call Of
Farm Work for January giving you tho
facts, and trusting you to put them in shape.
In regard to keeping stock in the first
place, it is necessary requisite to have
warm barns. Who has not seen the effect of
cold barns =? Why, it is an impossibility to
keep stock looking we'll in cold barns, and
they will eat nearly twice the amount of hay,
and still look bad in the Spring Every
farmer can make his barns warm, if he
chooses, but how many barns we see in which
you can count the cattle as you ride along
the road. Every farmer should have barn
room enough to tic up all his stock during
the winter months. think the better way
is to tie cattle with strap around the neck.
1t takes up no more room than stanchions,
and is cheaper, and easier for the CATTLE
There should be partition to prevent them
from stealing each others fodder You can
then feed them at your discretion. In re-
gard to feeling, my opinion is, that twice per
day is sufficiently often to feed COWS and
young STOCK. Let that be when they are
tied up, morning and night. 1t is bad
practice to feed cattle in the yard for when
fed in that way they waste almost as much
as they eat. They should be kept tied up
all the time, with the exception of sufli,ien
time to drink. Tae time to let cattle out of
the barn to drink is in tho middle of the
day, when it is warm. It is practice
among farmers to have their water under
Sheds but is bid one; for where water is
thus sheltered, the master cattle will stand
around after they have drank, and keep the
others away; while if the water is out in
the open yard, they will drink and leave
room tor others, by going under the sheds.
The best and cheapest feed for a stock Of
Gait . is, early-cut and well-cured Herdsgrass,
Red-Top or Timothy hay. Give them all
they will eat, but compel them, however, to
eat it up clean. Oxen and COWS should be
mealed-oxen when thqy are WORKED and
COWS in the Spring. Corn and cob meal, or
oats mixed with the corn and cob meal, are
very good-tho less cob the better. Give
COWS four quarts per day-feed to them in
the morning. Oxen should be fell twice per
day-mornIng and midday, when worked,
with the same amount at each feeding.
In regard to potatoes, turnips aud corn
cobs-L had as lief have saw-dust or bass
wood sprouts, for feel. 1t is quite as cheap
to grow corn and oats as potatoes and tur-
nips, and tn, former, in my estimation, are
much the cheapest. Farmers labor under
great mistake in regard to feed. Tue best
is the cheapest. know of instances where,
when tarmo. wanted to fatten COW or an
OK, he would fled out nearly all his potatoes
and garden sauce, and then would have to 90
to mill and get corn or oats ground to fatten
his creature.
Salt should be placed in the yard in a
trough, where the cattle can have free access
to it. 1t is we'll while getting in hay, if it
be damp or green, to salt it. [ think cattle
will eat hay better that is sailed in this way.
It>is wise to keep cattle in good condition
at all times in fact, it is cheaper. would
recommend cut feed for horses. Take straw,
cut it fine, have box or trough, and put
the cut straw into it for each horse and add
four quarts of oat or corn meal; then put
sufficient hot warn ?-ED.) water to mix it
we'll. This is the cheapest feed for horses,
and they will do quite as we'll upon it as upon
hay and oats. think colts ought not to be
grained. The excitement in horse-raising
has caused colts to be grained high when
young; but it is bad practice. Give the m
warm stable, with plenty Of good hay, and
that is enough. More anon.
Hay STACK.
REMARKs.-We are at at loss to believe
that all the above is the kind of work to
be recommended for January. We are OIL
the opinion that Hay Stack +" is young
and wants some advice from old heads,
EDITOR OF FREEMAN.
One great reason why farming is SO I'm.
certain in its resu Is, is because men profit SC
little by their experience, because they car