American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-09-12

age that is well matured has the double
disadvantage of dIgesting slowly and of
having n considerable part of its nu-
tritious matter entirely indigestible, so
that food in this condition is entirely
lost Cooking remedies both these faults;
besides facilitating digestion, it brings
into digcstible condition 25 or 30
per cent. of nutrimcnt in all we'll
matured heritage that would otherwise
be passed undigcsted and lost.
But il is not enough that the food of
cows should be easy of digestion; it
should also have the different elements
in their right proportion. The flesh
forming and respiratory matter must
sustain certain relations to each other,
and part of the latter must be fat.
1t is found 10 accord with experience
and chemical investigation that one
pound of albuminoids, casein, albumen,
etc, will supply the daily waste for 500
pounds of live weight of ordinary farm
stock, while pound of starch, sugar,
etc, will hardly supply the waste for 100
pounds. \ pound of fat will answer for
more than 900 pounds. For each pound
of albuminoids, therefore, there must be
five pounds or above of respiratory food
and nearly one-half pound fat; unless
this proportion in the relation of food is
nearly complied with the animal will not
prosper. From the fact that flesh and
| flesh forming food may, in part, supply
respiration, small amount of starch,
sugar, etc, may be wanting without any
material injury if the other element is
abundant. But as nothing can answer in
the place of albuminoids there can be no
lack of that kind of food without loss. A
fattening animal, even, suffers by any
such deficiency. The increase of cells
necessary to hold the increased accumu-
lation of fat will not be found if there is
lack of heterogeneous matter to form
them of, and, having no place in which to
lodge, it goes to waste.
Fattening cattle are sometimes fed at
a considerable loss from this cause But
dairymen much oftcner run astray in the
use of h-producing food.
The rations of IL mich COW should be
different from these of stall-fed or store
cattle A COW which will weigh 1000
pounds giving a good flow of milk, will re-
duire in her daily food four pounds al
buminoids, twelve to fifteen of carbohy-
drates and about l /! pounds of fat. The last
two are usually in full supply, but the
first is often lacking. There is but little
forage that will furnish the needed pro-
portion. In green grass everything is
well balanced. But the per cent of al
| buminoids decreases as the grass ma
| lures, and fails of IA proper supply in
hay and almost all advanced heritage
Grass, either green or dried, has the add
vantage Of almost all other kinds of food
for milk production in the quality of
easy digestion. Nothing yields so easily
to the action of the gastric juice. From
the large per cent. of water combined
with its nutritive matter nothing is so
quickly absorbed or so easily transferred
through the vascular system and lodged
where it is to be appropriated. Nothing
In a. IA THA n no nnp rt IL ~.
milk than the material extracted from
green pastures. When Il COW is fully
supplied with green grass she will
shrink by feeding mostly oil-mcal
oatmeal or any other rich food
that has reached stage of maturity
She will shrink, though more abundantly
supplied with albuminoids and all the
other elements that enter into the COM
position of milk, for the reason that, like
the tough-splitting timber, their elements
are held together 20 firmly in comparison
with those of grass that they digest
more slowly and hence fail to furnish as
large results as can be desired from the
quickly-digesting grass. Green food is
best for the dairy, but when this fails,
foods rich in the elements of flesh make
| an excellent substitute. There is quite a
difference between young grass and that
which has stood in the pasture till it has
become old.
For this reason it pays to feed pastures
off about as fast as the grass will grow
when the season is favorable, and soil
with green food when there is any occa-
sion. In this way food easily digested
may be cheaply supplied through the
season, affording guaranty against
drought as well as securing large returns
from keeping up continuous full flow
Of milk through long season.-B,Ualo
Lire Stock Journal.