Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-06-19
FEEDING WHOLE GRAIN TO CATTLE

FEEDING WHOLE GRAIN TO CATTLE.
1t is an expensive system Of manage.
ment, to feed whole grain to any kind of
animals. All kinds of cereal grains arc
provided with tough hull or skin, which
the digestive powers of most animals will
not dissolve. Consequently, if the skin is
not broken before the grain enters the
stomach, the kernels will pass off with the
droppings without affording the animal
that swallowed the grain any more nour-
ishment than fragments of wood of equal
size. During the month Of August last
the writer, procured quantity Of horse
manure for top-dressing strawberry plants,
and in few days after the mulch was
spread around the plants, the unbroken
kernels Of oats vegetated, SO that the en-
tire surface Of the ground appeared as
green as lawn. The fact showed conclu-
sively. that much Of the grain had never
afforded the animal that swallowed it any
nourishment at all. Young horses hav-
ing sound and sharp teeth will sometimes
crush every kernel But old horses with
poor teeth frequently swallow half their
mess ofoats without breaking the skin of
the kernels. When mills are at a distance.
and people will persist in feeding whole
grain, it will always be found more advant-
agccus to soak the grain at least twenty
four hours before using it. Suppose, for
example, a teamstcr is accustomed to feed
a team eight quarts of Indian corn and oats
at each feeding, say three times day.
Let the grain be put in pail and covered
with warm water every time the team
is fed This plan would require three
pals when the team is fed three times daily.
Warm water is far better than cold water.
as cold water, in cold weather, will soften
the grain but little. Tcamsters may rest
assured that it will pay we'll for all trouble
to soak all grain before feeding it.
SIOUX WOMEN-A correspondent writes
of the famous Sioux chief, Spotted Tail,
and his daughter, as follows:
When young man, Spotted Tail was
brave warrior, and always seen foremost
in the fight. lie wore coon's tail in his
head-drcss, and hence Gen. Harvey gave
him the name ofThe. man with -the-S Spotted-
Tail. lie has FIVE or six wives, and sever
al children. A few years ago one of his
daughters fell in love with an officer of the
army at Fort Laramie. The officer did not
return her affection, and she pined aud died.
She is represented to have been virtuous.
beautiful girl, ofgrcat intelligence; and it
was pitiable to see her, day after day, fol-
lowing about the man she loved as dog
does its master. Spotted Tail removed her
from the fort and sent her long way off
among his people, but she refused food and
pincd away to skin and bones. Before she
died she sent for her father, and made him
promise that he would have her body
buried among the whites, where her heart
was. She also exactcd of him a promise
that he would give over his wars against the
whites, live at peace with them, and be-
friend them whenever he could. She
sleeps in the graveyard at Laramie. Spot
ted Tail loved his child much, and it is said
never forgot the promise he made. The
young officer she loved SO passionately was
lieutenant in an Ohio regiment during
the war.