Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-09
auricrltural Items.

Salt AND ASHES FOR DOMESTIC AMI
nALs.--The subject of the use OF salt tor
domestic animals has been discussed by
mauy a pen. While there are yet those
who argue that salt is not needtul TOR AMI
mails, I must dissent and wholly disapprove
Of their reasonings others may rear
their stock without salt and they may do
well, but from my own experience for
over fifty years, shall continue the use
oft, and instead of piecing it out to my
stock az l used to in years gone by, will
give them all they desire my rule is, not
to see how long barrel of salt will last,
but to see how quick my stock will con
sume it. Here let me say that salt alone
does we'll for all graminiverous and her
bverous animals this nature evidently
requires if not for. their good why is it
chat a colt, calf or lamb, even, if but few
davs old, relish it, and at the first eating
ike II so well ?
Nature has also furnished another IN
gredient besides salt, for the health and
appetite of animals, in the shape Of aka
lies; ashes supply this want Often when
a boy, | have seen cattle and sheep at
places where brush and log heaps were
burned, engaged in licking ashes with a
perfect relish evidently, they wanted
something to regulate their digestive pow
ars. I have known horses so needy for
something to regulate their stomach, that
they would eat a handful of good clean
ashes as quickly as handful of oats, or
leave the latter and eat the former first.
Some say that dairy cows eat too much
salt, that it checks the flow of milk fol
days true, but this is no argument
against the use of it so with horses anG
sheep, if they have done without it toe
long, they eat too much, burning fever
is the consequence they want it when
they do want it, no more, no less.
TO arrange this for their convenience
my practice is TO have troughs so ar
ranged that all can have free access ts
salt or ashes-to eat and be satisfied
ashes from green, or at least sound wood
only should be used. For sheep, trough
three or four feet long, and eight or ter
inches wide, nailed two feet from the
ground, under the shed, is large enough
for any number of sheep, as but few will
eat at time for cattle, a wider one i:
necessary for horses, every manager
should have a small box Just large enough
to admit the horses nose, fastened direct
y over the feed box, in which is a con,
slant supply of salt ashes. In pastures
where there is no shed or other building
under which the trough or box can bt
placed to avoid the waste by storms, sci
two posts Of some six feet long, firmly in
the ground two feet apart, at each end Of
the trough or box at the top of the posts
spike piece of two-inch plank, after be-
ing cut in roof form ; upon these spike two
vide planks forming the cover or roof
The trough is fastened to the posts some
two feet from the ground the roof will be
so low that no animal will attempt to jump
the trough under the roof; here we have a
safe place to keep supply of salt and
ashes at all times-rain or shine. Or, if a
movable box is desired, arrange it on some
thing like stone boat, and move it from
ield to field it should always follow the
cattle. If the many herds of cattle kept on
our prairies IN summer were supplied in
this way, there would be less rambling.
more contentment and more beef From
my own experience l believe that barrel
of good ashes is equal in value to barrel
of salt, equal parts being used as food. /
believe that hogs need supply of salt and
ashes as much as any other animals, and if
thew had constant supply always accessi
Bile, the "hog cholera" would not have
been known.
have never known horse to have
the bots, cholic, or worms, nor become a
"crbber" when a box Of salt and ashes
WAS ever in reach in his stall.-Prairie
Farmer.