Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1868-01-23
farmers Dtpartnsl't.
vrcn che American Stock Journal.
ADVANTAGES Of Cutting and Cook
ing Food for Stock.
BIZ JAS. HARDEE.

Much has been written on this suo7
iect: the argument in favor OF cu,-
ting mp and steaming feed iof ssoeA
nav he stated in q few words. An
;ntellieent farmer asks for the philos-
ophy Of cutting hay. Hecan under
stand that it Is useful to cut corn
stake, and coarse fodder, because
the cattle will eat them better. But
when cattle will eat up good hsy per-
fectly clean, why should it be passed
through the cutterf All food has to
be ground up before it can be assim-
Hated, and pass into the circulation
Of the animal. If food is not artifi-
cially prepared by cutting, grinding
or steaming, the animal has to pre-
pare it himself, so far as be is aoie-
Certain kinds of food Will pass
through the system, imparting 70 IL
only q part of their nutriment, be-
cause the teeth of the animal have
not perfectly masticated it. Whole
kernels of corn or Of oats are fire.
ouently seen in the feces of an old
horse. We have found cutting and
stesming fsod to cure incipient
heaves in horses, and horses having
q cough for several months at pas
ture, have been cured in two weeks
on steamed feed. 1t has remarka-
BILE effect upon horses with sudden
cold, and in constipation. Horses
fed upon it seem much less liable to
disease; in fact, in this respect, il
seems to have all the good qualities
of grass, the natural food of animals.
It produces a marked difference in
the appearance of the animal, at
once causing the coat to become
smooth and of q brighter color; reg
ulates the digestion, makes the AMI
NAL more contented and satisfied,
exables fattening stock to eat their
food with less labor, gives working
animals time to eat all that is neces-
sary for them in the intervals CT Ia
Dor; and this is of much Importance,
especially with horses. 1t also en-
ables the feeder to fatten animals in
one-t third less time. The nutriment
afforded to animals by seeds and
roots depends upon the rupture OF all
the globules which constitute theil
meal or -four These globules vary
IN different roots, tubers and seeds
Those of potato starch for instance
are usually from fifteen ten-thou
sandths to the four- -thousandth par
of an inch, those Of wheat rarely
exceed the two-thousandth part o.
an inch, and so on. The globule;
cons .ituting meal, -four and starch
whether contained in grain or roots
are incapable of affording any .nour-
ishment as animal food, until they
are broken. No mechanical method
of breaking or grinding. is more
than partially efficient. The most
efficient means of breaking the glob-
ules is by steaming. The fragments
of these shells though not nutritive,
are indispensable to digestion, either
from their distending the stomach.
or from some other cause not under
stood; it having been found by ex-
pertinent that concentrated nourish-
ment, such as sugar or essence OF
beef, cannot long sustain life, with
out some mixture of coarser or less
nutritiye food. The economical prep
aration of all food containing glob
ules or fecula, consists in perfectly
breaking the shells, and rendering
the dextrine contained in them solu-
BILE and digestible, while the frag-
ments of the shells are at the same
time rendered more bulky, so as the
more readily to fill the stomach, and
renders moldy hay, straw and corn
stalks perfectly sweet and palatable
Animals seem to relish straw taken
from a stack, which has been wet and
badly damaged for ordinary use, and
even in sny condition, except "dry
rot" steaming will restore its sweet
ness. 1t diffuses the color of the
bran, corn meal, oil meal. carrots, OF
whatever is mixed with the feed,
through the whole mass, and thus ii
may cheaply be favored to suit the
animal. 1t softens the toughness oil
the cornstalk, rye straw, and other
hard material, rendering it almost
like green, succulent food, and easily
masticated and digested by the ami
mai. 1t renders beans and peas
agreeable food for horses as well as
other animals. In the cause of fat
tening animals, you want the ailment
to go to the formation of fat, and
flesh. This process goes ON success
fully, just as the animal is kept quiet,
and comfortable. No useless labor
should be expended in the grinding
up of food. It enables the feeder to
turn everything raised into food for
his stock, without lessening the val
ne Of his manure. Indeed the ma
nure from steamed foad decomposes
more readily, and is therefore more
valuable for the same bulk, than that
made from uncooked food. Besides,
If cornstalks are not cut up, they
find their way into the manure heap
in u rough state, they are trouble
some in the shoveling of the manure
whereas, if they are cut, these OBJ
jections are obviated. 1t saves at
least one-third of the food. We
have found two bushels of cut and
cooked hay to satisfy cattle as well
as three bushels of uncooked hay
We should as soon think of feeding
cattle in the open field in this bleak
winter weather, as of feeding them
with uncut hay. A warm stable, a
straw cutter and steamer are good