Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-23

is probably somewhat exaggerated. But
experience and observation have taught us
that in principle it is substantially correct.
The capacity Of some animals to digest aud
assimilate the food they consume and con-
vert II into beef, milk, wool or other valua-
Bile animal tissue, is fully double that Of
others, and the farmers Of New England are
every year throwing millions Of dollars
worth Of food into the manure heap by feed
ing II 10 animals that make no fair return for
il.
We have made no exact experiments and
can at this moment refer 10 none 10 demon
strate the truth Of this assertion, but its
substantial accuracy is patent to every farm
er. We can recall instances where it was
so obvious that il was not possible there
should be any great error.
We have in our own stable two horses,
both heaithyaud Of similar character and
disposition, that are fair example Of the
principle. One of them will do fair work on
hay and hold condition as well as the other
will on the same quantity Of hay and three
quarts of corn meal day. The same diff
ference has been observed for at least half a
dozen years.
A relative visiting us recently drove a
sound, healthy four-year-old horse weighing
975 pounds that was so lean he felt called
on to apologize for his condition. He "fed
him six quarts Of corn meal aud six quarts
Of wheat bran day and all the hay he
would cat. He had done no work, and been
driven very little, and yet he was poor as
crow-couldu't get any flesh on to him.
THAT old mares colts are all just So"
Some fifteen years ago the late Abijah
Miller, one of the most extensive and sue
cessful farmers and stock raisers of Spring
field, hired a thorough bred Durham bull
for season. He raised few calves of his
get, and the neighbors also. The next year
he bought them all up, some fifteen or twenty
in number. The steers were mature aud
sold for az much as oxen at three years old,
having been fed as calves, on skim milk, and
afterwards on hay and coSrse fodder in win
ter and grass in summer. One yoke was
kept until four years old, and then weighed
1000 pounds. We had the assurance Of
Mr.. Miller and his son Mr.. A. G. Miller,
the present occupant of the homestead, that
these steers never had grain or extra keep
ing that they did not eat much more than
Others, but what they did eat made them
grow great deal faster than others. There
are several descendants in the female line Of
the bull on the farm at present, and the an
imals of the family all possess the same re-
markable digestive capacity which the orig
insl representative transmitted to his imme-
date progeny. The elder Mr.. Miller
lamented to the last day of his life that he
needed the advice of busy-body who told
him he was spelling his herd and omitted to
buy the bull when it could be done for forty
dollars, the animal being worth thousand.
We do not mean to be understood as say
ing that thoroughbred or high grade is
necessarily better than a native, but that
the difference in power of different animals
to make any return for food consumed is
greater than most farmers admit or realize,
and that this power is to be cultivated by
selecting and breeding.