The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-22
farm an6 6ousebolo.


IMMENSE quantities of potatoes were
damaged by frost last fall, some before be-
ing dug and others in badly covered heaps
in the fields On this account, dealers are
afraid to speculate in potatoes this year,
and consequently if sold at all, must be at
low price. Although large quantity was
safely harvested, buyers seem afraid that
the tubers will not keep and the farmer
has either to consume them at home, or
sell them at a low price. In many cases
| 1T Will be found much more profitable to
feed them to stock of various kinds than
to dispose Of them for trife, after the
expense of taking them a considerable
distance to market Even those which
are partially decayed may be made useful
as food for hogs, the decayed parts being
removed from the tubers.
Potatoes are very much used in Great
Britain and Ireland as food for horses, cat
tie, sheep and swine. On this subject
Practical Farmer" has written an inter
estlng article in recent number OF the
Mark Lane Express. He says that full
grown cattle will consume profitably from
one bushel to two bushels per day, pro-
vided with good dry cEaff, that is, chopped
hay, or straw: The great consideration is
to keep their bodies right. The chief
OohsNi dl ioSS lIOul tHc ldAAtlfc pIOpcIGlcS
of the raw potato-it is not purgative,
but frequently causes hove" or great dis
tentiOn of the stomach. This, hover sell
dom occurs, except the animals german
disc too much, as they frequently will do
when large quantities of potatoes are
given. 1t requires only ordinary care and
watchfulness to prevent this. A neighbor
OF his lost three steers recently from this
cause. They came in hungry and gorged
themselves; hove and purging came on,
and being in rather low condition they could
not withstand those attacks. This was an
oversight which might easily have been
prevented.
For young, growing cattle they are adj
mirable food if given with judgment and
discretion. Young calves thrive well
upon them if they are well washed and
cut for them From a quarter to half a
peck per day, is good allowance for calf,
commencing when it is from ten to twelve
weeks old. Young cattle, from two to
two and half years old, may have from
two tosix pecks daily, taking care to watch
the state of the bowels. AS the spring
advances these rations may be increased.
Potatoes, like mangolds, contain consider
able proportion of water, which during
the winter is dissipated, and the tubers are
thereby rendered more acceptable and
wholesome food, and form an excellent
substitute for early grass. 1t is remarka-
BILE that when cattle, which have been
wintered on straw, few roots and little
cake, are put upon good ratiOns of pots.-
toes in spring, they thrive as rapidly as
upon good pasture, quickly lose their old
hair, and look like cattle grazed on rich
pasture.
" mo N o.
they are decidedly the best spring food for
cattle and hogs, and should the potato
disease cease altogether it would be advis-
able to grow q reasonable quantity for
these purposes. Some danger arises to
cattle from giving these tubers whole, as
small ones are apt to cause choking by be-
coming fixed in the gullet. On this &C.
count they should be sliced with turnip-
cutter, or pulped with the pulper. Should
choking occur, the flexible choke-tube,
which ought to be in the possession of every
farmer, should be gently passed down the
animals gullet to remove the lodged pota-
toe, care being taken not to wound the
gullet. In some instances the obstruction
may be removed by a small hand passed
down the throat to grasp the tuber. When
the obstruction is far down this cannot be
done, but the tuber may be pressed down
ward by the hand from the outside.
As food for hogs, mixed with meal, po-
tatoes are unrivalled, whether boiled,
steamed or pulped. In all cases they
| should be clearly washed The pulping
is the least expensive process, but the po-
tatOes are not so nOurishing as when
steamed or boiled. The difference, how.
ever, is not great. For poultry, boiled or
steamed potatoes ar exceedingly valuable
-Weste7.n Rural.