Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-11-12
Economy in Feeding Stock.


To RAISE and gather sufficient food to
keep a number of COWS, sheep or horses
through four ID six months of winter re-
quires no small amount of labor and
money, and our farmers have to make
close calculations in this matter or find
the balance on the wrong side of the ledg-
er. 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
practicing 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 circumstances naturally leads
the farmer to count more closely the cost
of keeping his stock. If COW will con.
sumo two tons of hay during the winter
and this is worth $50 per ton it does not
require much figuring to arrive at def
mite conclusion in regard to what may be
expected in the way Of profits. OF course
it would not be economy for the farmer to
sell all his richest and best fodder and
then endeavor TO keep his stock through
Wlnter on Ine poorest.
Still, by the application of an increased
amount of labor in preparing second
rate article, its value for food may fire.
quently be largely increased. 1t is here
that economy may be practiced, and Is to
considerable extent, by our most thor
ough and thriving farmers. Hay at twen-
ty to thirty dollars per ton is very dear
food, but IL 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
convenience goes great way in creating
a demand, especially with those who are
not compelled to practice strict economy.
But farmers who reside near good mar
kets may turn many penny to the profit
side OF their farm accounts by disposing
of their most salable and readily-handled
produce, and then using those of an op-
posite character for their own stock. The
coarser kinds of forage plants will answer
as well as the finer if artificially prepared,
by cutting up and steaming, adding meal,
shorts or bran, and giving roots at the
same time. Hungarian grass, millet, corn
stalks and straw become firstrate food
for stock when properly prepared by
cooking or steaming. We knowthat there
is much prejudice existing among farmers
in regard to grinding, cutting and steam
ing food for their stock, but we believe 1t
is mainly in consequence ofthe extra labor
required, and not from any reason 10 APP
prehend injury to the animal. Coarse
food made palatable and easy to digest by
such processes as we have named is not
likely to be injurious, even if II is in a
slightly unnatural condition. The exper-
iments of our most scientific agricultur-
lists show that tits economy to make the
food OF domestic animals as digestible as
possible without destroying ITS nutritve
properties, and farming is scarried TO its
greatest perfection and is most profitable
when these processes are most in vogue.
Our farmers must learn to practice
economy by saving, not wasting, the
coarser kinds of farm produce which have
TO q great extent been considered of little
or no value. More root crops should be
grown, and the straw-stack utilized in
stead of being left to rot down for manure,
as Is still done over large extent of coun-
Try. Let the steam boiler be set up and
be more extensively used for preparing
food for stock, and better results will sure
ly follow, especially in the older States
where all kinds Of farm produce COM
mand good prices. Few farmers seem TO
know how little food will keepan animal
healthy and In good flesh, if that little is
put in the condition TO be all appropriated
to the animals use, and not pass off undi-
gested. IN. Y. Sun. erf