, 1864-08-08
Hay and Straw, as Food for Farm
Stock.

In times like these, hen evcrytl ing odi.
bic for the support Of biped and quadrupcd
is ct maximum prices, when war taxes are
already upou us, and the signs OF the tunes
foreshadow an indefinite increase, 1t be.
comes important to farmers TO husband
their resources, and to make the most Of
even the bountiful crops kind Providence
has given them. To this end it is all I'M.
portant to practise the feeding and tattening
Of farm stock in the most economical man.
ner. 1t has long been said, and with much
reason, that hay cut fine affords onethird
more nutriment than hay when fed unchatfed.
The philosophy of this is, that hay, like
straw, contains large portion of ceAuloSe
(woody fibre), which, Notwithstanding its
insolubility, if only made soluble, is iden-
tiCal with starch, and is as nutritious ard
fat-forming. Hence, when hay is chaffed
fine it is better masticated, absorbs more
saliva, and, Of course, it becomes more
soluble in the animals stomach; but il the
hay, after being chaffed, is steamed or scald.
ed. it becomes still more soluble, and when
q little meal or shorts is added to it, it not
only becones more nutritious, but it is still
better assimilated.
What is true of hay will apply with
much more force to straw or corn stalks,
because they contain less starch and the
compounds Of nitrogen, and much more
woody fiber than hay. DR.. Cameron says
at is clearly proved that the straw of ce.
reals possesses o muCh greater nutritivt
power than is generally ascribed to it; it:
90 called woody fiber may be made to {
great extent assimilable, and if well assim
Hated or digested, four-tenths Of its weight
may be converted into fat. Hence, a'
woody fiber forms from six to eight tenths
Of heweight Of dry straw, If thissubstanct
was only made all digestible, straw woulC
become fattening food" lie also says
"As compared with white turnips, the nu.
tritive value of oat straw stands very high
for white turnips contain little more thar
one per cent. of hesh-formers, and less thar
Eve per cent. Of fat-formers; the straw
contains about four per cent. Of flesh form.
ers and thirteen per cent. of fat-formers.
But as turnips contain but three per cent
Of woody fiber, they are not only very di.
gestible, but they also aid digestion and as
similation. As dry straw contains sixty
per cent. Of woody fibre, when fed to stock
in It's unchafed state il does little more fol
the animal than to gil the belly and support
animal heat and respiration.
Alderman Mechi, the enterprising ANA
teur farmer of Tptree Hall, England, say,
that 100 lbs. Of straw cut, steamed, anC
fed warm, is more nutritive than the samG
weight Of timothy hay, and he recites sew
ernl experiments to prove the truth Of hi:
assertion. But this must depend entirely
on the quality Of both the straw and the
timothy hay. If the straw is cut. with
gluten in II, before the grain was dead ripe
and the timothy Is cut after il loses il,
seed aid puts on woody fibre, Mech mag
Be right; but not otherwise.
Tothose farmers who have no straw Il 1
still more necessary that they should maxi
the most Of their hay and cornstalks b,
chatting them fine. / have seen young cat
tleleave bright newly y-threshed wheatstrau
TO eat chafied corn-sialks; but these tai
nenecus stalks were cut up and stocked ai
soon as the corn was glared, to save thei
starch and sugar intact.