Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-30
Hay as II Feed.

CoRN-sTALKs are difficult TO keep; straw
must be cut or scaldcd 10 be OF benefit !;
roots must be managed; and much labor
! is required for nil thiS-and. II the best,
you have not Il reliable fodder, bread
and-butter" foe stock But YOU have il
in hay. not the ripe or blcache0 article
that we find SO much. This ! worse
than good straw or corn.staks But the
hay that is crass-cured such rs we now
/ and then find. and once finding never uisS
il there; this is wanted. Here Is some.
thing fresh, and sweet, and nutritious,
containing All the elements necessary 20
growth and production Of butter and
cheese. and these Of better quality, and
equal or superior in quantity 10 anything
that is commonly produced We say il
is better, more desirable all around, than
any other feed Ii is the natural food il
is healthy. it is nutritious. it is readily
raised and easily gathered, enriching the
land at the same time tbs its aftermath
and sod and is easily handled Ii needs
but he thrown to the stock without being
cut or steamed The butter made of it
in winter has tine flavor, 4 good color,
the cheese the same, and the milk is your
summer milk, only more concentrated
z l. -
kept healthier by feeding such hay You
/ see il in the cXCremeA's, in tie looks.
bright looks ofthc cattle, their great fun
free breaths, smelling OF summer. the
hide is mobile and the coat is smooth
| There is liyeliness in your stock of all
kinds, especially the colts and calves
/ Icgs and sheep require nothing more
than the early-cut, Wcll-curcd clover For
Z h. Al
hence, il is Just the thing for yonng grow
inganimals, which need not fat, but mus.
Gle. bone etc
We nave seen this more or less demon,
stratcd We have seen This hay, par'iru-
larry clover, come uat Of ihe NOV fresh
and green, the blossoms still there, their
color but slightly dimmcd we hnTc tecn
this eaten up clean, and every time We
have seen the fine effects in tive milk, the
growth, and the good condition of the an
imnis, and this continued during the win
ter, and in the spring large supplies OF but.
ter made and nothing fed but the hay /;
il was sufficient II was even better tl!an
grain, dsposing less 10 the evils al the
time OF parturition. The cooling effect ~
the grass, thavt, lessons the tendency 10
inflammation and other harm, and avoids
the high straining which grain and other
strong feed induces, in the end hurting
more than benetiting. and for the present
not surprising in growth tof muSclel and
milk, quality rs well as quantity being
considered
We do not object to turnips, bccts, and
carrots, and even potatoes and apples.
Neither do We wish TO be understood as
finding fault with cornstalks. We even
-
green and cured and run through the
straw cutter Let these things be fed as
occasion may require. They may be made,
when properly treated and Of good quail
ity, to do wcll--cspecially are uIrnips re-
nowncd, and justly but these do better
in England. where their fame il, iinn here;
the climate grows them better while il
cures the hay less well.
Roots can be grown largely; but they
are not generally with us. They are not
more, generally, than merely remuncr-
ating. the labor being much, also the
manure 1t is true large crops are grown
with high manuring and great care, in
England and Canada and in some parts
of this country.
But look at the amount Of cured gfas,
raised in Italy and other parts of Eu-
rope, where eight and nine cuttings are
madc--the average being but little less
during the summer, and not varying
much from ton to each cutting.
But extremes will not do for illustra.
tons. We must confine ourselves 10
what Is within our reach. and these
large, extreme crops are not commonly
among such crops
The very fact that roots arc attempted
with us and arc not continued. or with
difficulty. j. an evidence against them;
this to considerable extent nt least.
But no one tires Of clover or timothy.
They who secure two crops OF green
(carlv cut clover, have no need 10 be adj
yiscd to raise roots. For our part We
find such clover to meet the purposes of
roots. having the influence of health and
good condition upon stock, and securing
at the came time the more solld, con.
tinued effect
We opinc clover viii be more and more
grown, and early.cut hay fed, till at last
but little of the coarser feed will be used
We are yerging toward that point In
this section southern Herkimer County,
dairies are being kept in this wagon
grass in summer and early-curcd hay in
winter-yarying little corn for bait
ing" in August and september, when the
shoitness OF the pasture necessita'es it;
and il is an excellent necessity; corn is u
grass. and when cut green and tender and
fine stemmed il is a good grass, and comes
in opportuncly 10 meet the drouth. The
wonder is that all dairymen do not avail
themselves Of il.
We have said that diaries in this sec
ton are using grass alone; they are using
timothy and clover, with a sprinkline OF
June and orchard grass, and in moist
season considerable white clover. Now
here the objection that variety OF food
is necessary. il met. Clover is as distinct
from timothy or orchard grass as these
latter are distinct from cornstalks and the
straw Of the grains; and We may add from
roots, which have mostly their moisture
to recommend, and this can be supplied
readily from the spring, leaving mainly
the starch, as in the potato, and other
carbohydrates, in which hay is equally
rich and richer in abuminoids, the more
important properties. The difference is
mainly a matter of proportion and OF
water. II seems better, healthier, to feed
roots, because they are succulent. SO we
prefer grass to hay-grass itself dried
IAmerican Stock Journal.