Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-02-04
science Of Q attic Feeding.

Onder TINS mead the Scottish Farm
CIR not long since had valuable
article. 1t says:
Notwithstanding the dicta of sew
eral authorities on this subject, the
various points connected with cattle
feeding arc not to be decided by
chemical data alonc-data which tr
say the least, are sometimes founded
upon very conjecturaI opinions. On
the contrary, physiological circum
stances must be taken into account
before we can decide, with anything
like certainty, as to what really con
stitutes the science of feeding. Blu,
there is much certainty connected
with the science. The animals We
deal with are not like the test tube:
OF the chemist, into which certain
substances are put, and the results OF
the combination of which, can be
prcdicated with accuracy. We have
III them the living principle to dea!
with; and how difficult it is to predi.
cate with certainty the result OF any
experiment, the materials of which
are known to us, let those say who
know what life is, and how little We
really know about it.
Hence it is that in practice we find
an ever-yarying condition Of eircum.
stances which brings about an ever
varying result in practice; so tina,
what suits one, will not suit another
and the food upon which one iat,ens,
and which is taken with zest. we find
has the entirely opposite effect upon
another, and, il not rejected with
bathing is not partaken OF with that
relish which We know from expert
ence to be an essential element in the
proper and healthy assimilation of
the food. Hence, knowing this, it
has been the practice Of late on the
part of very eminent feeders, not
only to secure this important element
by changing the food of cattle, but
to impart to it such a popularity, or
such peculiarities, that 1t induces an
appetite and causes the animals to
partake of it with keen relish. And
this desire on the part Of the feeders.
has been met by those who-always
GU the look out to "make money!
perfectly legitimate desire have in
troduccd special foods.
These are pretty numerous; but it
is to one class alone that at present
we propose to make special reference
namely, what are called Brightly or
wrongly, we do not here profess to
say "condimcntal foods" BY no
means DESTROYS to treat the subject OF
the use of these in a partial or pre-
judicial manner, and i'll no way con.
nected with the sale of them, or APP.
proving Of the way in which they are
put forward to the notice of farmers,
nor OF, in some instances, the high
price charged for them, we neverthe-
less, believe that the whole subject is
worthy OF that great and calm consid-
Grafton which should always he
brought to the discussion of any sub,
ject in which important interest are
involved. II discussing anything. il
is worth the while to know what it is
we really are discussing. We may
discuss, for example, the best mode
Of getting III our barley crop, but tina,
is clearly different to discussing The
value OF it when it is got IN. SO on
this question Of continental foods,
the discussion of the enc point, do
they really possess feeding value, is
essentially different from ihat which
has reference to their pecuniary
value. Decile the first point, ana
then discuss whether such value as
they may be said to possess, is not
paid too dearly for, at the price tie
manufacturers demand for them.
! he gold, we admit may be
bought too dear which we laborionsly
extract from the quartz, but it does
not follow that the quartz contains
no geld. Let our chemists and
pAyslolcgists decide whether or not
there is va.ue in such fooIs-that
is, a chemical or pIysiolog cal value
and then we are prepared to dis
cuss what this value is worth. That
the opponents Of our continental
foods believe they have some value,
Is apparent enough if mol, why give
farmers recipes for making them ?
If they are not yaiuabIc as food, why
make them at all In concluding
our remarks Oh this most Interesting
subject, We again say we are mol
advocating the use Of condimcntal
foods; but what we contend for is,
that the whole subject should be
discussed in q much broader, more
catholic and scientific why than, We
venture to say, 1t has yet been
favored with.