The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-10-09
Farm, Garden and Household,
Fall and Winter Feed of Cows.

is late into November.
In winter the best food for COWS in
milk will be good sweet English hay, a
part of which should be cut and moisten-
ca with water, as all inferior hay on straw
should be, with an addition Of root-crops,
such As turnipS, carrots, parsnips, potatoes
mangold wurzel. with shorts oil cake
Indian meal. on bean meal. if these can
he had
1t is the opinion Of most successful dai-
rN-men that the feeding OF moist food can
not be too highly recommended for cows
IN milk especially to those who desire to
obtain the largest quantity Hay cut and
thoroughly moistened becomes more sue
ulent and nutritiye, and partakes more of
the nature of green grass
During the winter season. as already
remarked, a frequent change of food is
specially necessary, both as contributing
la the general health OF animals. ana as A
means of stimulating the digestive organs
and thus increasing the secretion of milk.
\ mixture used rs cut feed and well
nolstened, is now especially beneficial,
SINCE concentrated food, which would 9th
rrMlse be given in small quantities, may
be united with larger quantities of coarsrr
and less nutritYe food and the complete
assimilation OF the whole bc better Secur-
cd. The moSi nutritious kinds of food
produce little on no effect when they are
moi dlgtSted by the stomach or if the dI-
geeted food is not absorbed hy the lynn
phatic vessels and not asSmuated by the
various parts of the body Now, the nor
mai functions OF the digestive organs not
only depend on the composition of the
food, but also ola it, volume. The voiume
or bulk of the food contributes to the
healthy activity of the digestive organs.
by exercising Il stimulating effect on the
urryes which govern them. Thus the
Whole organization OF eliminating ami
mails neceSSitates the supply of bulky
mod Ia keep the animal IN a good con
iitou.
Feed sweet and nutritious food. there
tore. regularly, and change it often. and
lhe best results may be confidently eN-
pected. Ii the COWS are moi in milk. but
are 10 come III, in the spring, the differ
rnce in feeding should be rather in the
quantity than in the QualitV,if the highest
Weld is to be expected from them the COM
ING season.
The most common feeding is hay alone
and ottentimes very poor hay, III that
The main point is to keep the animal in
healthy and thriving condition, and not to
suffer her 10 fail IN flesh and with this OBJ
'ect some change and variety of food is
highly important, And here it may be
remarked that cows in cali should not as
ID general rule, be- milked the last month
az siN weeks before calving. and many
prefer to have them run drN eight on ten
weeks. The Weld of milk is better the
coming season, and holds out better. than
il they are milked up to the time OF
caiying
The most elaborate and valuable cNper-
iinentS in the feeding and management OF
mich COWS are those recently made b>
Mr. / Iiorsfall, of England. His prac-
tco Is of such general application and |
Importance As t. be worthy of attention |
BY his course Of treatment he found that |
hc could produce a. much and a~ rich but |
ter III winter as in simmer.
His tlrSt object was 10 afford a tnll sup
ply OF the clements of food adapted to |
the htaUttcHaitct and ais" to the ti'oture |
Of the animal; and this couldnot be effect |
ed by the ordinary food and methods Of
feeding, since ii j. impossible TO induce a
cow to consume the quantity of hay re,ui- !
site to supply the waste of the system,
and keep up, at The same time a full
Weld of the best quality of milk He
used to some extent r,biao,.s LuIl r,l;
n,,nrold. shorts and Other slhst,nras |
rirb IN the constituents of cheese and lint
Ter ..Nv food tol. mitch cows s.,ys he |
.,atler bayino uudcr,on.. v,,.ious mo,it;ca. |
tlor>. ha. for nyo seasons consisted of
rape cake five pounds and bran two
pounds for each cow. mixed with a 4,ff
t.,.nt uuautity of bean stray u0t straw
ana shells of oat~. in e,rlal proportion. to
4upply Them three tjl,,c- = doy with as |
n,nch rs 1Lnv viii r,t Tb,. whole of the
materials ar. nni4t4n4d and blended to- |
orther. and after beiuo vrl xj,u,,r6 are
r;vnn tn thr ,mim,ls ;p = warm >totn
one and a hall pounds per COW, according
10 circumstances, OF bean meal, which he is
changed To give 10 each COW in proportion
to the yield of milk those in full milk
getting two pounds each per day, others
but little. 1t is dry and miNrd with the