, 1864-01-02
Use Of Salt in the Food Of Cattle,

Use Of Salt in the Food Of Cattle.
We extract the following from long
article on this subject published in the
Mark Lane Express. 1t contains import
ant facts:
The use of salt in the food Of cattle must
not be looked upon as direct producer
of flesh. so much as necessary element
of the economy without which animals are
ant to perish from disease, but with which
the body is kept in normal and healthy
state. Not many years ago German ag.
riculturist, Uberacker, brought forward an
experiment which is in direct accordance
with this opinion. Wishing to obtain
some exact notion Of the influence which
salt exercised upon his sheep, the Aocks Of
which lived upon Q low, damp pasture land,
and received habitually certain dose Of
salt, he fixed upon ten sheep, and struck
off their usual allowance Of salt. This re-
markable experiment was continued for
three years, with the following results: In
the first year five Of the ten died Of rot
and worms; in this year the remainder Of
the flock, 450 head, lost only four sheep.
The second year new lot Of ten sheep,
deprived Of salt, lost seven individuals |;
the remainder of the flock, 1854 head, lost
five only; a little later, the other three
died also of diarrhea. The third year was
very rainy. Sixteen sheep were selected,
and deprived of salt. The whole Of them
died in the course of the year Of rot and
pneumonia. In the Brazils and Columbia,
flocks may be annihalated by being deprived
of salt; here we have an example Of the
same thing happening in our own latitudes.
NJ. Garriots, member Of the Agricultural
Society of Lyons, assures US that the milk
of cows subjected to daily allowance Of
salt Is richer in butter and cheese than
when these same cows are deprived Of salt.
Sinclair, to whom agriculture owes much
useful information, has observed that the
habitual use Of salt has q marked influence
in improving the quantity and quality Of
the wool of sheep. This Is in accordance
with Boussingault's experiments on bull
locks. Sinclair goes still further as con-
Germs pigs. Some of the latest pigs killed
in Ireland, according to this observer, are
those to whom certain portion Of salt is
given.
Many other English agriculturists have
proved by direct experiments, that Iegu-
lar distribution Of salt to cattle is esPe
cially useful in preventing hoove (meteor-
ization) caused by feeding cattle with le.
guminous and cruciferous vegetables. And
there exists no doubt, among those who
tried II, that when employed in proper
quantity It increases the appetite, stimulates
digestion, keeps up the normal supply Of
salt in the blood, improves the wool OF the
cattle, prevents disease, and, moreover,
enables the agriculturist to fatten cattle
upon food which they would not enjoy with.
out Il were previously mixed with salt.
DIR. Desaive, in his treatise on the Use Of
Salt for Cattle Ito which the Academy Of
Medicine Of Brussels awarded gold med.
al) has arrived at the conclusion that " the
regular and reasonable use Of salt in the
alimentation Of cattle may increase indef.
nitely every branch Of agricultural pro-
duce." lis on these grounds that the
practice Of giving salt 70 cattle has become
so extensive Of late years.
But there is another important consider
alton with regard to the peculiar distribu-
ton Of salt 10 cattle. allude to its infu-
ence in preventing disease. Its daily use
becomes Of serious consequence when
locks and herds are menaced with those
epidemic attacks which too frequently raw
age awhole country ct once, when pro-
per use Of salt would either prevent them
entirely, or ct least reduce them 10 less
disastrous proportions. During one Of
the worst Of these epidemIcs. which sprang
up, Il ] remember rightly, about the year
1910, in the east Of Europe, the almost
wild cattle Of the Ukraine, Podolia, and
Hungary, were struck down in much
greater numbers than those Of Silesia and
Bohemia, where the cattle breeders habitu-
ally distribute salt 10 their beasts. Ad.
ypu0ing towards the west, this scourge di-
minished In Intensity, and finally ceased to
show itsolf in Germany, whore particular
care Is bestowed upon cattle, and where
salt has been for many years constantly
employed. But whatever be the nature
Of the disease which threatens, animals are
much less disposed 10 contract Il when the
body Is In perfect health; and we have
seen that this Is impossible, unless the In.
dividual receives each day his proper pro.
portion Of salt. gN
ItI =. .N