Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-12-23
A gI'icultural.
Poor Hay.

The farms ia New England upon which
no poor has is cut are few aud far between
We wish 1t we're otherwise. But wishing
will not change the fact or improve the
quality of the hay. In spite Of our wish
es, the fact exists. and the hay is already
in the barns. Our farmers have got it on
their hands. The question now Is. what
shall they do with it? From different
men it receives various and conflicting an
swers
One man feeds it to his young cattle.
He says it is good enough for them. He
must be philosopher in his way. other
wise he would not for moment imagine
that inferior food was suitable for young
and growing stock. Would he keep his
children on poor food because they were
young and not able to work? Of course
not Children need the most nutritious
food. So do young animals of all kinds.
An animal that has attained its growth
must get enough nutriment from ito food
to repair the waste of the bod;, or else it
will grow poor. The growing creature
must not only do this, but must. also, pro,
vide for growth and development. Young
cattle can live on poor hay. So mar
could live on roots ami bark. But nei-
Their of them would present very pie.
thorc appearance. The starvation plan
is not profitable for either man or beast.
Some men feed the poor hay to their cows,
the cows dry up"
We have had compassion upon dog,
when VIC have seen him try to cat dry
and mcatless lone and we have the same
feeling for COWS which are fed on poor hay.
Sometimes the farmer feeds the poorest
hay first, aud, when it is gone, gives
better quality. 1t is a better way 10 feed
the poor hay Cf it must be fed at all, )once
or twice day, and give good hay the
same number Of times Fifty per cent of
poor hay is enough for any creature to eat
IN one day.
Other farmers give the low grades Of
hay to their sheep This is most m:scr-
able policy. The man who follows this
course either has not learned the A B C's
of successful sheep raising, or else he is
making q fearful sacrifice Of profits and
pleasure. Sheep need good food, Is
they do not have 1t, the wool will be light
and of uneven texture F; the sheep will
be poor and liable to be attacked by dis
ease the lambs will be small weak and
poor and the whole flock will present an
appearance of infrmity and debility, which
will put all hope Of profit forever out of
mind, and speedily convince the owner
that he has either failed in his manage
ment, or else, that in the keeping Of sheep
there is no reward
Some feed poor hay to working oxen.
They have Seak and feeble teams. Thele
oxen are slow and patent, and utter no
complaint. But they are walking ad
vertisement of their owners Entertainment
Here some one may accuse us of finding
fault with what folks are in the habit of
doing and at the same time neglecine to
point out better way. To them We will
attend at once. Almost every farmer has
a hay cutter of some kind If any one
who reads this has never bought or owned
one, let him consider whether there is any
machine of which he is in greater need,
aud whether it will not be for his interest
to get one at opcc. If he has feed cut
ter, by all means let HIM use it. Cut the
poor hay into pieces not more than two
inches long. After cutting put it into
tight box, throw half a pail Of boiling wa
ter on two bushels of the hay, mix it well
with pitchiork so that it will all get wet,
and then throw on and mix in three or
four quarts Of corn meal or shorts. Give
about a bushel OF this mixture to COW,
morning aud evening, always feeding it
warm. If managed in this way, the poor
hay may be used aud some benefit be ob.
tanned from it, Mixing with hot water
steams it to some extent aud makes il pal.
atable. and the meal or shorts ACIDS the |
nutrimcnt in which the hay alone is very
deficient, 1t does not take great deal
Of time and is not very much work to cut
aud feed the hay in this manner and there
is very little work done on farm which |
gives better return than this.--Ne,c En-
land Homestead.
CHARLOTTE. Messrs. j. Nj. Dean &
Son Of Charlotte, have hept an account
of the butter produced by their dairy of
20 cows, for the months Of June, July,
August and September, with the following
result June-lS, 800 lbs. Of milk. yield
ing $40 lbs. Of butter, for which 5000, SO
was received. Average q $40 lbs of
milk TO l lb. Of butter. Ju.y--I7 1903
lbs. Of mix, 7S7 Ids. Of butter, at $2l6 GA;