Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-22

adjust the proportion Of nnlritiye matter
to their bulk. If we examine the nature Of
the mixed feeds most in vogue among feed
ers, il will most generally be found that
very bulky feed is combined with another
Of opposite properties. Hence, tuInips,
the most bulky Of all kinds Of feed, are
used along with oilcake or beanmeal; and
IL from any circumstance, it becomes neces-
sary TO replace a large amount Of turnips
by the latter substance, the deficient bulk
must be replaced by hay or straw.
Farm Crops. hoU best and most eooR0Hti-
cqLlv used as Feed.-The question is then,
however, so Car limited, and reduces itself
70 determining how the crops commonly
cultivated on the farm can be most advan-
4 tageously used for feeding cattle, and
4 whether they are best used alone or sup
plemented by foreign feed, by which we
/ mean substances not forming part Of the
usual farm produce. These crops are hay,
straw, turnips, mangels potatoes, beans and
peas, and the inferior qualities Of the &C.
reals; and they include those most remark
able for their bulky natIme-the turnip, for
instance, containing less than eight per
cent. Of nutritive matters. All Of them are
also remarkably deficient in. fatty matters
the bean, which is much richer than any
Of the others, rarely containing so much as
FIVE per cent The result Of all feeding
| experiments leads TO the conclusion, that
animals cannot be brought to the highest
degree Of fatness on turnips, or even on hay
alone.
A peculiarly Interesting series Of expe-
riments by Wolff have shown that sheep
which, when fed on hay of average quality
attain a weight OF about ninety pounds
will gain an additional ten pounds if rape
cake, or some other feed containing a large
quantity Of nutriment be given them. As
a general rule, such substances as oilcake
rape-cake, and bean meal, etc, greatly pro
mote the fattening process, and they Ope.
rate partly by supplying large quantity o.
nutritiye matters within the bulk which
the stomach requires, and party by increas
ing the supply Of heterogeneous matters, il
which they are particularly rich.
Proportions Of Flesh y and Heat Pro.
dHcing Elements Ia Feed.-All, however
depends upon the ratio Of flesh and heat
producing elements being the right one
and it would appear thai this proportion
differs according 10 the object Of the feed
ing. Wolf, who has directed much atten
ton 10 this subject, states, as the results o
his experiments, that for maintaining ami
mails at moderate weight they should b
as one to eight, for young cattle as onf
10 seven, and for fattening as one to five o.
six. He found by actual experiment tina
the production of milk was largest Wher
the two classes were in the ratio Of one Il
seven but his conclusions with regard tC
fat cattle must be taken with some reserva
ton. ...s..sr
Value Of Rape Cake as a Feeding Sub
stanoe.--The most important point which
he has brought out, is the very high valut
of rape-cake; and il is interesting 10 know
that in this respect his results bear out the
repeated recommendations which chemist
have given of that substance. he ha
shown that one pound Of rape seed vii
produce one pound of milk, and under IA
yorable circumstances still more; and il
effect was better than that Of an equal
weight Of grain. It appears, also, that II
feeding, it is equivalent TO more than twice
it own weight Of hay. The great difficulty
1 which is encountered in the use of rape
cake is that the cattle dislike its taste; anC
ifthey are supplied with full quantity o
turnips or straw, they will consume just
sufficient quantity Of these feeds to main
tain an average weight, and reject the rape
cake offered them. The way in which thii
is to be avoided is a very simple one. o
course il will not do TO diminish the guam
THY Of other nutriment given 10 the cattle
for that would defeat the object Of tn,
feeder But part OF the more bulky feed
such as turnips, must be replaced by somt
Substance such as grain, containing the
same amount Of nutriment in a smaller
bulk and the craving for a sufficient guam
THY TO fill the. stomach will induce the ami
NAL to consume the rape, and after few
days they become completely accustomed
to t.