Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-02
AGRICULTURAL ItcMsu,

SrEAM1YG FooD FOR SIoCK.--Ihe
ssason for winter feeding has come again,
and we have lost no time in getting the
stock on our farm into snug quarters, and
hrIng them TO their winter feed.
The summer was so dry that the pro-
duct of the dairy ran down to very low
sbb, and even the better pastures of Octo-
Der did not suffice to bring the make Of
butter up to a satisfactory point. Two
weeks ago we commenced feeding full
rations Of steamed food, and within that
time the weekly product of butter has
increased about thirty per cent, which is
a sufficient vindication of the policy Of
'teaming.
The food consists of hay, corn butts,
and unthreshed oats, cut short and mixed
together then wetted thoroughly, sprinkl-
Ell with bran, liberal allowance, and
thoroughly steamed. At first, even the
animals that were kept on this provender
all last winter showed no special liking for
It, but after two or three days all were
eager for 1t, and the whole herd IS now
in blooming condition The most notable
feature on entering the stable CATER the
strong aromatic odor from the steaming
5hest) Is the fact that most of the animals
are lying down and chewing the cud.
The fact is that the food, being very pal
stable, and already half masticated, it is
easily eaten, the cows soon fill themselves,
and, with an air of great bodily comfort,
they lop down and have quiet and
happy Illumination.
As to the absolute economy of steaming
We have no evidence to offer that would
be Of scientific value, for experiments in
Ieeding require careful consideration OF
circumstances, and comparison of results
between many animals under the same
condition for long time--an amount OF
e1actness in the observations of weight,
temperature, atmospheric condition, con-
dltion az to pregnancy, &C., &c, which
would be impossible in ordinary farm
management, with uneducated hands. Ii
IS plain enough, however, that the saving
N food is very considerable in quantity,
and still greater in quality. We have
never yet seen any dry hay that was Sc
moldy, so musty or so much decayed that
it did not become palatable (and appar-
emily nutrltious) food on being steamed.
All offensive odor is destroyed, the flavor
Of whatever mill-feed we use is diffused
throughout the mass, and '(this is theory
but we believe it fully the cellular tissue
# the hay, which is entirely digestible
when eaten dry, is made digestible by
cooking. Probably green grass, cut be-
fore blossoming and properly cured, is as
palitable and easily digested as any food
can be. We doubt if steaming would
improve it very much. But the effect of
steaming on ordinary hay, which is much
too old when cut, and has much woody
6ber in it, is so marked that no one with
an opportunity to observe it can fail to
see its benefit
In addition to the other advantages of
The system, too much Importance cannot
be attached to the complete destruction of
the terminating power of the seeds of
weeds. This effect is so certain that we
would not hesitate to feed out stack of
Canada thistles cut when in ripe seed !;
and we question whether the labor saved
IN wedding lowing to the absence of living
seeds in the manure) is not fully equal to
that consumed in preparing their food for
9teaming.
We have nothing to add to the inform
alton of our previous articles on this sub
Ject, by way of instruction as to the details
of the process but we shall be at all
times read to answer, to the best of our
ability, any questions our readers may
PROFOUND on this subject.
What we especially desire in closing
this article is to impress on the minds OF
all who are interested in the feeding Of
live stock the Importance of giving more
attention to this subject. Hundreds OF
intelligent farmers in all parts of the
country have given the system a practical
trial, and have pronounced in its favor
The average verdict of all is that saving
Of fully one-third is effected. That is, if
a cow will eat three thousand pounds Of
uncooked hay in winter, she will keep
In better condition on two thousand
pounds cooked, and that the same ratio OF
economy will be maintained in the case Of
the meal or bran fed with the hay. 1t is.
at least, the duty Of every stock feeder (ii
he considers economy duty) to investi
gate the question thoroughly, and to
either satisfy himself by positive reason
ing (not oy his prejudices) that the reports
Of those who have tried the system are
false, or else to adopt it himself. We can
not afford to throw away the millions OF
dollars worth of good hay that our lll-fed
animals annually trample under foot in
barnvards and fields neither can we
afford that the hay they do eat should do
only two thirds the work it is capable of.
FOR ourselves, we are firmly convinced
that the steaming of fodder is as great an
Improvement as its most enthusiastic ad
yocates claim it to be, and we urge every
one Of our farmer readers to at least give
it his careful attention.-N. Y. Post.
WHEN To MARKET-With MANY f. rno