Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-27
Shade and Pure Water for Stock.

We always thought it cruel to expose
stock to the fierce midday rays of our
summer sun without shade trees. That
stock of all kinds do suffer more or less
from the direct rays of the sun is evil
dent enough to all who have observed
with what tenacity they cling to shade
IN the middle of a hot day, even prefer
ring to endure the pangs of hunger to the
meridian rays of the sun. We have
known oxen that have been blowing all
the forenoon of hot day retire to the
shade and stand there during the noon
ing in preference to cropping grass in
the sun.
Some farmers are in the habit of keep
ing their COWS in the barn-yard all night,
and until the sun is some distance above
the horizon in the morning, without any
thing to eat, and then after cropping a
hasty breakfast they will retire to the
shade and remain there until within a
few hours of milking time, when they go
forth to feed a short time. Is it any
wonder that cows shrink in their milk in
hot weather and that farm horses that
run out fall away in flesh?
We have known some writers to depre-
cate shade trees in a pasture, because
stock will cling to them 50 in hot wealth
er, neglecting to eat all the grass neces-
Sary to their greatest usefulness, but it
must have been heartlesS disregard of
the comfort Of brutes that dictated such
proposition. An animal to thrive and
to do is best must be comfortable and
cOntented.
If stock in 4 pasture remain under the
shade too much of the time to crop suffi
Cient feed, why would it not be a good
plan to drive them into cool stables dur
ing the heat of the day, and give them a
little cut grass or some other nourishing
food? 1t is undoubtedly the true policy
in keeping such stock as employ their
organs in manufacturing food for man,
whether it be flesh or milk, to induce
them to consume all the feed that their
organs can digest and assimilate without
detriment to their health. If they are
driven by the fervent rays of the sun to
remain under shade too much Of their
time, then they should be fed under the
shade, either by placing managers there
and drawing them food, or by shutting
them up in stables and feeding them. We
throw out these suggestions for the con-
sider2tion of the humane man as well as
economical; for we believe it is both in
human and wasteful to compel stock to
seek their food exposed to the heat of the
midday sun.
The lack of an abundance of pure, cold
water, easily accessible, is another cause
of suffering to stock and loss to their
owners. Too many farmers rely upon
stagnant swamp water for their stock
during a great part of the pasturing sea-
son. This is cruel, and unnecessary in
country where veins of water can almost
always besfound by digging from thirty
to a hundred feet To be sure, it costs
something to dig wells and pump water
for stock, but much less than the loss in
letting them drink impure, stagnant
water However abundant and nutri-
tious the pasture, stock cannot do well
when suffering from thirst, and cows
cannot make pure, wholesome milk from
foul water. Impure water not only
makes unhealthy milk, but it affects the
health of the stock that drinks it; there
fore provide pure, sweet water for your
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