The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-11-27
Economy in Feeding STOCK.

To raise and gather sufficient food to keep
u number OF cows, sheep or horses through
four to six months Of winter requires
no small amount Of labor and money, and our
farmers have to make close calculations IN
this matter or fluid the balance on the wrong
side of the ledger. When the country was
new and the land rich enough to produce
bountiful crops without the application Of
manures the kinds of food costing the least
labor were preferred; consequently good hay
and grain answered every purpose and prac-
ticing economy by feeding anything else was
seldom thought of by the well.to-do farmer.
But of late years hay, straw and oats have
become cash articles, even far back in the
country and hundreds of miles from our
larger cities, and this change OF circum-
stances naturally leads the farmer to count
more closely the cost of keeping his stock.
Ii COW will consume two tons OF nay dur
ing the winter and this Is worth $50 per ton
1t does not require much figuring to arrive at
definite conclusion in regard to what may
be expected in the way ofprofits. or course
II would not be economy for the farmer to sell
ali his richest and best fodder and then en-
deavor to keep his stock through winter on
the poorest
Still, by the application of an increased
amount of labor in preparing second rate
article, it, value for food may frequently be
largely increased. 1t is here that economy
may be practiced, and Is to considerable ex-
tent, by our most thorough and thriving far
mers Hay at twenty to thirty dollars per
ton is very dear food, but it Is so convenient
for handling or feeding out that the owners
of stock dislike to dispense with it, even if it
does cost more than they can really afford to
pay. The same may be said of oats, but
demand, especially with those who are not
CON PEELED t. practice strict economy.
But farmers who reside near good markets
may turn many penny to the profit side OF
their farm accounts by disposing of their
and then using those of an opposite charac-
ter for their own stock. The coarser kinds
of forage plants will answer as well as the
finer if artiicially prepared, by cutting up
aud steaming adding meal. shorts or bran,
and giving roots at the same time. Hunga
rian grass, millet cornstalks and straw be-
come firstrate food for stock when properly
prepared by cooking or steaming We know
that there is much prejudice existing among
farmers in regard to grinding, cutting and
steaming food for their stock, but we believe
it is mainly IN consequence OF the extra labor
required, and not from any reason to appre-
bend injury to the animal Course food made
palatable and easy to digest by such pro-
injurious, even if 1t is in slightly unnatur-
al condition. The experiments of our most
scientific agricul'ursts show that is econo-
my to make the food of domestic animals as
dgestlble as possible without destroying its
nutrtive properties, and farming IS carried
to its greatest perfection and is most profta.
bic when these processes are most IN vogue,
Our farmers must learn to practice econo.
my by saving, not wasting, the coarser kinds
Of farm produce which have 10 great extent
been considered of little or no value. More
root crops should be grown, and the straw
stack utilized instead of being left to rot
down for manure, as is still done over to
large extent of country, Let the steam butler
re set up and be more extensively used for
repairing food for stock, and better results
| Sw.l surely follow, especially IN the older
ou1s where all kinds of farm produce com
mar good prices Few farmers seem to
, ih,anon,.Aow little food will keep an animal
nea ", and in good Aesh, if that little is put
III me ..ndition TO be appropriated to the an,
yia u u and not pass oft undigested.-N.