Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-01-03
Reported for the VERMONT FARMER.
EAST ST. JOHNSBURY FARMERS
CLUB,

A. X. Hovey said whether IL is profit
able to feed meal OF not depends great deal
on circumstances. Some farmers will lose
money in feeding il at 80 cts. bushel, while
others would make It pay ut over one dollar.
1t depends also on the kind of stock to which
II is fed, and the manner of feeding. In the
case of cows giving milk early in spring, be-
fore pasturng time, an ordinary COW will
produce 3 or 81 lbs of poor quality of but
ter per week. My experience is that 3 qts.
of meal daily will increase that amount to 6
or lbs. of much better quality Some very
extra cows will produce II satisfactory
amount of butter If fed abundantly on good
hay, but meal will make MS much improve
mcnt on these rs any others. If cows are
fed on hay, all they will eat, and then meal
is given,thc amount of hay consumed will be
diminished in proportion to the grain used
Last winter | was short of hay, and used
corn rs u substitute in feeding my sheep. |
had flock of so and fed 80 lbs. Of hay and
IL qts. corn daily which | found sufficient
to keep them in good condition. The cost of
keeping was for each sheep, one cent for hay,
and three fourths cent for the corn daily.
This was cheaper than three pounds of hay
when it sold at $50 per ton. | find that two
yoar-old steers, unless very extra ones, will
not be in us good order in the spring, when
wintered on all hay, rs they were in Decem
Der, though they will be larger in frame;
but if these same steers are allowed one
quart ofmeal daily, they can be kept gaining
MI through the winter, and if allowed two
quarts will usually come out in the spring
fit for market. In this way corn can be made
worth more than dollar per bushcl.
Mr.. ID. Goodall asked Would you sell
such steers in the spring, and if so, do you
think you would get pay for the extra fecd?"
Mr.. Hovoy. would sell or not according
to the state of the markets, and the amount
of pasturing | had. | have made careful
estimates, and think, rs n general thing
could sell in spring without loosing anything
paid for extra feed. If kept them till fall
should req uire better pasture to continue
them in thriving condition, but should
have three chances to sell them to advantage
where should one if they were in poor
condition. | consider one ton of hay and ten
bushels meal equal to two tons ofhay. When
wish to cconomize hay | feed one-hall
less, and find ten bushels of meal for each
| ton will supply the deficiency. A year ago
last fall had too much stock for my amount
of hay, and, rs cattle could not be sold for
their usual worth or hardly given away, |
concluded to winter them through and buy
corn. 1t required nearly n carload. But in
the spring had just the cattle wanted for
pasturing, and now the price of beef has i'm
| proved 50 that, taking all into consideration,
my con was worth nearly $3.50 per
bushel to me. | remember about twelve
! years ago, when feeding grain was not ut all
| popular, rs | was bringing home n load OF
corn had bought, met one of my neigh
/ boring farmers taking u quantity of his oats
| to market. ! was much impressed with the
difference in management, and was not so
! sure of my correctness rs experience has
| since made me. Now the farmer referred
to hot only feeds ont what grain he raises,
but buys corn by the carload.
Mr.. GoOdall. | have not had much oXpe-
rcncc in raising stock, but have observed
the effect of feeding grain in some cases.
remember Daniel McGreggor used to make
money years ago by keeping fnrrow COWS
highly fed on grain during winter, thereby
not only getting large quantities of milk, but
having them in good condition for beef the
next fall. My little experience has shown
me that warm stables has about rs much to
do with raising stock ms feeding grain.
had calf from II very nice COW Of mine in
July. kept it well fed on milk and meal,
and in winter put II into a very warm stable
where it could grow and thrive till spring.
| attribute my success in making so nice a
yearling of it TO warm, comfortable stable
and good care. once bought COW and she
proved to be n very poor one. She gave skim
milk and the cream was very inferior. II
was not cream, and it was not butter. ! no
ticed u person one day brought some very
nice butter into my store, and ! bought his
COW. She made very yellow good tasting
butter, but | could not churn it much short
of half day. | then sold this COW to II man
who had dairy of ten COWS, and she I'M
proved the color and quality ofhs whole dairy
but made the cream more difficult TO churn
Mr. S. Iuse. ! feed meal to my cows il
the spring after calylng This improves the
butter made from them, and helps TO keel
them in good condition all summer. Cows
from March till pasturing time will loosC
flesh unless they are fed on something more
nutritious than hay. Meal will keep then
from declining and benefit them all summer
Mr. l.. Cheney. | give my cows two
quarts meal till the first of March, then foul
quarts of cob-meal till April, then feed cloaI
meal till grass time. We made twenty fou
tubs of butter last year from six cows, and
think this unusual quantity results from thu
use of meal, and am satisfied that il pays.
call il worth Sl.25 bushel to me for thi
purpose.
Mr.. Husc. How many pounds butte
can you get from bushel of corn9
Mr.. Cheney. 1t makes moo than one
half difference and improves the quality yer.
much
Mr.. Hovey. | can get from four to 81,
pounds butter from bushel Of meal. twill
average five,
Mr.. Ira Smith. There IL another advan
tage aside from pecuniary one. We al
like to see good cattle and delight in show
ing them to our neighbors. five have poor
half fed animals, and our friend visits MS
We prefer to sit by the fire than to take hin
ont to see our stock, think dollar
worth of comfort in the consciousness G
having our ANIMALS in n good, comiortabl
condition, and sight which all passers-b
will admire, is worth rs much rs the sam
amount enjoyed any other way
Question Tor next meeting; els it profit
able to use phosphates on cur lands rs ma
nme?"