The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-25
Wintering Cattle.

That IS what the operation is called.
In the dictionaries of most farmers it
means keeping the breath of life in
horses, cattle, and sheep from Novem-
Der till May. IL signifies using up the
straw, corn-fodder, and hay, as we'll as
much of the corn and grain raised on
the farm during the summer to protect
the life of farm animals till summer
comes again. 1t means getting the
stock through the winter by hook or by
crook. 1t is not expected that the cat
tie will gain anything; on the other
hand, it is expected that they will lose
very much. Even if they come to the
barn in good order in the fall, it is ex-
pected that they Will crawl out in the
spring &c living, moving, walking skele-
tons" like those shown at fairs.
Most farmers are satifed If their stock
"just hold their own" during The colder
portion of the year. They realize the
fact that every head of stock is dead
head as far as any grain is concerned.
They trade off the product of their farms
and the worth of their labor during half
the year to keep their stock from star
walton the other half of the year.
Farmers who keep stock in this way will
find w1Gter a very expensive season, if
they take an inventory of stock-live
stock-in the fall and the following
spring. If none of the stock dies, the
number of head will be the same. If
the weight has not fallen off, there will
be no loss in this direction. The horses
and oxen, If there are any in the place,
may work some weeks in the winter, and
in this way partially pay for their feed.
The COWS may give some milk. The
sheep will add to the length of their
| fieeces, and some Of them may have
lambs. In all these cases there will be
gain. There will also be manure,
which, if not lost by exposure or suf-
fered to be washed away, may be set
down among the gains. Now let US
| look at the matter of losses, and see
| how they will compare with these gains.
First there is the use of the money
invested in the stock, and the use of the
| money invested in the fodder the stock
is to be wintered on. Then there is the
worth of the time spent in taking care
of the stock. Next there is that large
item of loss or expense, the worth of the
fodder devoured. These, in the aggre-
| gate, are heavy items of expense. They
amount to the use of half the capital the
| farmer has. the value of his time during
most of the year, and the worth Of the
fodder and much of the grain produced
by himself and teams during the grow
ing portion of the year.
1t would seem as if farmers would be-
come disheartened at this way of work
ing but of never getting ahead. It would
| appear that they would 60 every spring
at their work with less heart than they
went the year before. It would seem
that they would see that there was no
economy or thrift in conducting bust
ness in this way. It would seem that
they would make a revolution in their
way of stock feeding during the winter,
and that they would adopt some more
useful rule of domestic economy per-
tanning to the cattle farm. Good sense,
would be likely to lead one to form
rules like these:
1. Keep no stock that will not gain
during the winter with good corn and
abundant feed. 2. It is better to feed
stock to crows and foxes than permit
the stock to eat up your crop without
making adequate returns. 3. Keep no
moro stock than you can keep increas-
| ing in flesh and fat with such feed as
| you have on the farm. 4. Make good
care, protection, and regularity of feed
ing do all they are able to do in de-
| creasing the amount OF food the ami
| mails would otherwise consume.