The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-08
winter. Food fer Dairy Stocsz.Proi.
E,ay.s Lecture Before the DatFS'
..,n,u-s Convention,


winter Food for Dairy s:ScA0 0pis.
Laws Lecture Before Sne D"Hs
E:Aeu-s Convention.
This gentleman discussed the question OF
the character and condition of the winter
food Of dairy stock. He showed that the
combination of cold water as drink, with
drv. rich food is not best for oxen and
cows, The horse and the sheep are by
nature. by the smaller size of the stomach
and the shape of the hoof, unfit for grazing
on low land and the juicy grasses that
crow on them; but the COW naturally
9razes on meadows, and is fitted for tray
cling over low surfaces and living on sue
.culent grasses, from which the horse is re-
PEELED. -,
He proved that iuiciness alone adds
greatly to the value of COW food, and urged
that the winter food of cows and oxen be
made as succulent as their summer food.
1t appears to me, he continued, that have
furnished pretty cogent reasons why we
should not condemn our stock to the SIM
ple hay and water on which they are too
often compelled to subsist during winter.
But as the question, will it pay ~ is
rightly made the test of all proposals for
change on the part Of those who make
stock commercial investment, 1t is well to
add that within certain limits the amount
Of aqueous materials in the food determines
the amount Of milk secreted. Another
prerequisite to profit it that the food be
made sufficiently rich to bring the milk up
TO proper standard of excellence.
believe the day is not far distant when
we shall have extensive plots of tarnips,
beets, and other root crops, grown
on all our dairy farms, to secure IN the
winter yield from the dairy IN some de-
cree commensurate to the summer supply.
Already we see the indication of this ia
the more extended cultivation Of these crops
ON the farms of those publc-spirited men
who have collected the best herds OF Dur
nam, Jersey, Ayrshire, and other improved
breeds Of cattle. And in some districts
the example is spreading among the farmers
generally as its advantages are being
more fully realized. AS the light
soil of the greater part OF the
State would seem to encourage the growth
of root crops, it is rather remarkable that
thew have not been more universally
sowed. 1t must be acknowledged that the
cultivation of an acre Of turnips requires
much more labor and care than an acre o
hay. vet feel assured that the twenty OF
thirty tuns of roots obtained from each acrt
will more than compensate for the extra
outlay, Furthermore, if | can show, as
hope to do before conclude, that dietary
such as have recommended will do away
with some unhealthy conditions often me
with in cattle, trust that the labor objec
ton will not be made an insuperable one
In the absence of roots, or potatoes
wheat bran, bean and pea meal, cut hay O
straw, slightly fermented by admiXtur
with water, or still better, boiled, may b.
substituted. The advantage of cutting anc
cooking food cannot be gansayed. Tn
cooking dsintegrates the woody fibre, dis
solves the salt, and presents the whole il
a condition admirably adapted for easy ant
perfect digestion. When the cooking sys
TEN has been fairly conducted, the en-
HANGED value of the food is not less thai
one-third. Among other advantages Q
the system is the supply Of the food in
warm condition, thus avoiding that chillin
to which COWS are subjected in winter.
likewise encourages the flow of the milk
whereas chill always counteract
such tendency. Cattle which are fed i
Scotland on turnips and uncut wheat o
oat straw, will occasionally make as niue
as two pounds increase of weight daily, 0
diet of $50 pounds of Swedish turnip
and five pounds straw per day. Yet n
one would expect this daily increase on
diet of 20 pounds of hay per day, whic
would be fair nutritiye equivalent, 6
judged by its chemical constituents, ann
moreover, is greatly superior to it in thos
fat-producing principles which are special
required to the feeding OK.
The plentiful supply of liquid to Il
blood and tissues not only iavors the d
structive and preparatory changes in thos
but maintains in full activity the warrior
secrcting organs counteracting costivenes
suppressed concentrated and iIritatiI
urine, inspssated bile, and the like. III
same result follows in all cases when tn
finely divided and watery food is supple
and however the condition may have be-
brought about, whether by cooking, mac
rating, terminating, or otherwise, 9th
things being equal, the progress mat
in growth, in fattening, or in vie
of milk, testifies to the enhanced value
food in this particular condition. III
dealer who wishes to iatten a horse rapid
for sale, does not feed him on dry gra
and hay, but chooses rather boiled graf
bran inashes, carrots, turnips, potatoe
and other like sloppy food, and though
loses IN hard condition, he gains in rotu
dity and weight. The food Of the suckil
animal affords one of the most striki
examples of the value of large amount
water intimately combined with the 9th
and more directly nutritive constituents.
THE Philadelphia North Anaeric
,nokes an excellent resume of the pre