The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-01-05
Agricultural department.
bDUCTED tY ALBERT CHAPMAN.


ique has an article on feeding salt to cat.
lie 10 which the writer says that in all
countries "the beauty Of the farm ami.
mails is almost always 10 proportion to
the low price Of salt" The Marx Lane
Express has translated the whole article
for it's readers, from which we extract the
following material portions
Much has been written on this subject
and much advice given, without having,
ia my opinion, resolved the question in
practical point Of view. First cannot
admit that We can determine ration,
certain quantity Of salt TO be given each
day, or at each rcpast, to an animal Of
such a breed, because it is evident that
that ration ought to vary in accordance
with a number Of circumstances. For
example, the size of the animal. its age.
its condition Of leanness or fatness, OF
health or disease. the medium on which
il lives, the season We find it in-waru
and dry. or cold and moist THE tonic or
facilitating nature Of the food it receives
&C., &c Experience has proved, and
many farmers have acknowledge that to
force salt upon animals is TO commit
fault of which we have often reason to
regret the effects. In our establishment,
without reckoning mich cows and young
stock. we keep eighteen or twenty
draught oxen. accustomed 10 all seasons
to rough work. and who receive Of ncces
sity az abundance OF food, sufficient to
repair the force expended, and which af.
ter time. are rapidly fattened. These
animals. | may say, experience afterwards
tho 70 gastric disorders so common among
oxen which we harness almost immediate.
ly after they have finished their meal. and
whose ruinati' m ought to be going on at
the same time they are making the ncces-
sary efforts for the accomplishment of
their work, a condition we know is most
unfavorable to the functions of digestion.
1t is necessary, therefore, to introduce in
the feeding of our cattle condiment ia.
vorable to their digestion without expos
ing them to the more Injurious effect
(which is not generally beieved) Of the
immoderate use of salt in giving it under
improper conditions. Ia the distribution
of salt we leave the cattle to themselves
and their own judgment as to quantity,
and they have never deceived US.
We simply place in the manger and at
the door of each of them lump Of rock
salt. which contains, mixed with common
kitchen salt, suitable proportions of soda
(Glauber's SALTY and sulphate Of magne.
STA EPSON sally substances digestive and
slightly laxative, and very favorable to
the functions Of the stomach and very i'm.
portant for ruminants. When an animal
feels the effects Of indigestion painful he
recurs to this means of relief every time
he feel tho need of it. | have often seen
animals whose digestion operated painful.
ly. rise, lick the salt for time, longer or
shorter, according to the need they feel,
and surely guided by their instinct, then
lie down, and again rise, lick the salt
again, and so continue till the rumiuation
takes place again, and thus administer
themselves the remedy for the disorder.
The good effects of this mode of dis.
to us many years ago in manner which
has led us to attach still more importance
to it. In consequence OF tho inundation
of the mines from whence the salt is pro
cured that we make use of, they have
been deprived of it for some time and
every week We have had to treat some Of
them for disordercd digestion, of which
the least consequences were the loss oil
labor Of the oxen, OF milk of the cows,
and their falling away in condition But
as soon as we have been enabled TO give
them this coDdiment, the indigestion has
been removed. la the absence Of rock
salt we could always incorporate With the
rock salt employ cd sui phate of soda crys.
talized (Glauber's SALTY, which is sold at
low price, and which all salts contain il
the proportion Of from three to four per
cent. We consider it to be the best re.
active and perhaps the only one against
the Inconvenience Of an excessive con.
sumption of salt
The employment OF salt in cattle feed.
ing, when even it is subject to duty and
still more when that is remitted, does
not involve an expense without compen.
sation; for oy its action upon
the digestive organs it produces
better and stronger assimilation Of the
food, and consequently saving, the nu
triton being not in proportion with the
quantity consumed, but rather of that d..
gested ; part is also found in the dung.
which will acquire an extra value by it
the milk also being of better quality,
and it imparts to the butchers meat n
very appreciable favor. That of sheep
said to be presaIted has no other cause.
From the preceding remarks it must
not be concluded that | advise the abso-
lutte exclusion OF The addition of salt from
boiled food. from which it develops the
aroma, nor its mixture with forages toe
wstery, damaged, or ripened and then
harvested in a moist time and state, and
to which it is required to restore whai
the water has carried of. But in thu
two cases salt must be employed with
moderation in order that the animals ma
not be compelled to consume it when they
do not require it In few words, dc
not force the salt upon the cattle, bui
place it within their reach; they viii
then consume it in quantities varying
with their real wants which their 10
stincts will teach them TO know much
better than We can, and they will neveI
abuse it. If insist upon this point, i
is because | have seen stables decimate'
by diseases occasioned by the immoderat
use of SALT of which the abuse, like tha
Of the best thing, produces results con
trary 10 those of normal consumption
and based upon requirements And il
proceeding as have advised, you will re
eeive the profit by all the good effects G
salt without having to regret the incon
yepiences of il.