Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-07-19

And a heifer calf from poor or ordinary
mixer should not be raised, unless the bull
has a remarkable milking pedigree. These
things can all be cared for when the dairy
man raises his own COWS. But our chief
object was to call attention of farmers to
the
PHILOSOPHY OF BREEDING.
The exact effect produced by the various
kinds Of food uaed in growing the young
and sustaining the mature animal, has not
been 40 infinitely determined, practically,
by scientific men. as il deserves TO have
been Yet there il much more known upon
this subject than has ever been practi-
cally applied by the general stock raiser,
aud which when understood and applied,
will enable him 10 accomplish a higher
result. The animal system is made up prin-
cipally Of muscles, bones and fat. Now, if
we know what food will build up each Of
these parts Of the system, we can feed in
telligently. We must bear in mind, that
like produces like" That constituent Of
food which produces Fat viii not produce
muscle, and rice ucrsd. We must seek food
containing chemically the same constituents
as the parts of the animal we wish to build
up. In short, the intelligent feeder must
know lust what effect he wishes 10 produce
by feeding, and what food will most econom-
ically accomplish his object. Animal mus
Gle, lean meat, (fibrin,) has the same
chemical composition as the gluten of our
grains or the oasciH in beans, peas and fax
seed. The bones contain, besides gelatin
(which is similar 10 gluten phosphate Of
lime some carbonate Of lime, magnesia,
soda, potash and common salt. The fat Of
animals is chemically identical with the
oil or fat of our grains and grasses, and
differs but little also from the starch, gum
and sugar contained in them bnt contains
no nitrogen, only carbon and water. Thus
we see that the animal economy produces
very few chemical changes in its food, but
simply appropriates what is found ready
formed TO its use. The vegetable Celebrates
aud prepares and the animal appropriates.
When this is fully understood by the
feeder, he win rot expect by feeding sugar
or starch 10 produce muscle, and conse-
Quently, will avoid feeding whey, or any
other refuse containing only partial nour-
ishment alone 10 young animals aud II
he wishes 10 produce fat principally, he
will not use food rich only in nitrogen or
muscle forming principles A practical
application of the knowledge we now pos
sess is what ia needed. Let us illustrate by
= case in point.
For several years statements have been
going the rounds Of the agricultural press,
that feeding breeding animals with sugar
or sweet in the form of skimmings and re-
fuse from syrup making (Which cows are
very fond Of would render them barren,
bat no explanation of the phenomena.
Still, all it needs here is an application Of
facts, we'll known, to draw a correct con-
Clusion. All animal tissues contain, as an
essential element, nitrogen. Sugar fat,
starch and water, are "non-nitrogenized
components of the animal body, but are not
organized or living substance" IL is only
the muscular and nervous systems that have
sensation. The semen and ova Of animals
are heterogeneous or alhuminOns tinids,
containing also soda and phosphate Of
lime, the essential elements of the young
animal IL is held by some of the great
est animal chemists that "nitTogenized
foods alone nOurish the tissues" IL is not
difficult III en-, from these facts, TO infer the
reason that the carbonaceous food, such as
sugar, should, when fed largely, ,render the
female animal barren and the male impo'
tent, This food, although it produces fat
produces no living muscle, nothing on
which 20 build up the young animal. Ii
Is readily seen 10 what an important &C
count this may be turned by the breeder Of
animals. In raising heifers, how impor.
tant it is to produce a large and well
formed muscular development, and TO this
end glutinous OF albuminOus food should
be given.
FIRST CALF AT TWO YEARS OLD.
There is no doubt Of the propriety Of
developing the milk secretions at as early
period as the maturity and strength OF
the heifer will permit, and it has been
found by many Of the best breeders that
better mixer win be produced at four or
i've years old, when the first calf is borne
at two than Il three years. This point is
maintained IN an able paper by the Hon.
l. +. Allen, published in the Transactions
Of the New York Agricultural Society Cor
1864, and this - emphatioally our exps-
rience.
The great objection 90 making COWS Of
heifers at two years has been that thew Ms
ually make small COWS, as they do not grow
much afterwards This objection viii be
obviated by following the hints given
above as the heifer viii be a. large at two
wears as is usual al three. Besides, AZ the
Effort has been principally 10 develop her
frame and muscular system, she will have
abundant strength and vitality for materns-
~ In IA not even desirable 10 develop fat