The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-28
kfraw or Hay.

The greatest expense Win ha! 10 i'
vcsti,,r. Straw goes through the si'iie
oneration, but for the sake Of the gram, 81
that its harvesting Is not considered. ia sse
this eypense out and how does It coln ,lsrS
with havs It is a nice question; u . nc" -
70 decide, But this much there Is aoU roriy
that if straw Is early harvested ana ps y;td
cured It IL not only palatable, out n.,s,,.
hIv nutritious. Then run through !. s sM~I
.,;t+cr and scaldcd ana stc'nleu. ~ IT." IT,.
S SO,nctb;mr very nearly approaching Soou lIa!
,sa'. nisn Carly harvested and proper! culee.
W;,,n,,t tbc cutting and heating slla" -
Iu"" ,,,,"h less. This then must so as aii
w aso, - the harvesting of the hay, so tiia'
"ns. co., falls back on the nutrttivc cicnchts'
Wv ~ .h;S The hay is far enough ahead, some
. i" ."'T or four times. Particularly " TINS
IT., e,sc with clover which Is rich III
,';,rogrn the element most wanted I'D
"'oI fnr stock. 1t is for this reasoil--'s any
' '"D dairyman will admlt-that we
ind nm increase of milk as soon rs clover Is
rcsn,ted to: the effect from hay TO clover Is
immediate. And the animal itself gets the
hencIt growing in flesh and strength ana
h,r,lincSsm So Young stock Is equally ana
~,eatly benefited. Clover is the feed for
To,,ns stock of all kinds, and prominently.
They will thrive upon it in just What we We,
want them to thrire--muScle. Ihcy VIII
crow. and grow strongly and hardly. Fer
hans the summer docs not advance theih
more with its grasses than clover during the
winter-vorlng, tender clover, Just reaching
into blossom. This has all the nutrition ne
ccssary. and it has it available. Straw has 1t
not co much available. With straw, some
thing more must be fed, as it has a lack OF tne
ntrorenous element, though it makes up IN
the heating principles, yet it has a lack, ana
We must resort to something that VIII make
mn the lack, Just as we must resort IN tne
same way where poor, orer-nnttircd nay Is
fed.
From all this it will be seen that hay, par
,ir,Iarly clover, has the best look. You necd
b,,t fretl--throw it down from the NOW ana
feed it, 1t needs no cutting, no doctorlhg,
no mixing with other food. The virtue OF
nil those Is in it. The test has been that,
all thiiics considered, it is cheaper. we SO
think.
Bl,t what shall we do with our straw!
II hay is very scarce and very dear, then
NC the straw; use it if it is cheaper to use it
in addition to the grain. the cutting, ana the
s,.am;ur. 4 man must exercise judgment.
There are times when this is particularly
necessary. But in the main clover IS the
cheapest and best fodder, varied somewhat
with timothy and other grasses. Such nature
has provided, and such seems desirable. :,
Where there is nice, fine, grecn-tlntcd
straw. il seems Il pity to throw it away. Cat
tlr will eat il readily, and sometimes even
urefer it to hay. not rs IL regular feed, but us
nm occasional bite, and they will fill them
selves with it lust rs they will with chafi.
But It doe, not reach the muscle, it does not
start the milk (as clover does, it only fills up.
There is little animation impaired, little
strength: lis effect upon the bowels is not
what is wanted; torpidity seems to be the
cnc,t on the whole animal. The reason is.
there is much bulk required to sustain the
system: aud this bulk only weighs ana
bloats and makes the animal uncomfortable.
When spring comes the ehcct VIII oe more
clearly seen. The animal will have lost flesh
and hc weak, perhaps have TO be lifted. 1T
i !cca,lsc the vital element, nitrogen, is lack
ING: il is not there in sufficient quantity.
supply it in grain and your animal will come
out differently in the spring, but Mt Il cost
which the duirymen here say will not gene
rally pay. All this is obviated-the expense
and falling away III flesh-by feeding tender,
wcll-curcd clover hay. We know this by eX-
pcrience, and we therefore assert it conf
IDENTITY.
Straw is fed with loss in the main. 1t is
ouly in an emergency of scarcity OF high
price of hay that straw should be fed, and
then only if held at a reasonable price. II
this price corresponds with the hay, nothing
is made.
But poor hay is not better than good straw.
The common hay of the country is some
better, not much. Both require grain, or
roots, and other feed.-F. e., IN CuIt'tator.