Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-01-15
Seasonable Suggcstions.

Very many farmers fall into GER
tain habits, or contract certain rou-
tine method ofperforming farm work
and duties, for the different seasons
of the year, and perhaps the winter
season is the one when there is the
least economy exhibited of all; espec-
tally is it shown in their care and at
tention to their stock. No one sup
poses that the farmer neglects his
stock, or would knowingly and will
lingly have them suffer for any need
ed want; but still very many who
have the care of stock in winter cause
them to suffer much from the very
want of forethought, or the force of
habit. Take the matter of watering
stockholm many there are who, in
stead OF supplying them with water
at the barn, or sheltered yard, let
them go to the brook or near
stream; few of them ever give it
thought that each animal suffers in
more ways than one every time it
goes to water; cruelty or bad ccono-
my would be the last thing they
would desire to be accused of. But
is it not cruel to send the poor dumb
creature out in the cold, cutting wind
or driving storm, to obtain supply
of ice-cold water to satisfy the de-
mands of nature; and perhaps drink
ing enough to set them shivering,
and making them uncomfortable for
several hours; and is 1t not false
economy to allow all the necessary
waste occasioned by their daily, or
more frequent visits to the brook or
pond? There is 4 waste of manure
waste in feed.
Feeding stock is another item to
be looked after, that no uneasiness of
stock or waste of material occur
Few are the farms where there is no
coarse or unpalatable fodder which
must be disposed of; and it to the
best advantage to the stock, is a
problem which some would like sol
we'd. That this coarse, innutritious
food will cause any stock to lay on
flesh or even thrive, if fed alone, is
not to be expected; but how to come
the nearest thereto is still the ques-
ton. Experience and the appetites
of the stock must be the best answer.
l have seen men who fed consider
able quantity of this poorer quality
of fodder, and still their stock seem
ed to thrive as well as another's
which had only the best quality of
hay and feed, and the first stock
wasted less in quantity than the sec
ond. This was produced by the acay
IN echich 1t acas fed, but there are
few possessing this faculty. For the
generality, there is an economical
which, if adopted, would
add much to the value and lcngthen
out the better quantity of feed
Coarse hay, corn-stalks, and even
good clean straw may be made quite
palatable to stock if it be cut fine,
with boiling hot water,
and packed in a tight box or large
cask, which may be closed tight af-
ter mixing a light sprinkling of bran,
meal or shorts through the whole,
and letting it stand few hours be-
fore feeding. A bushel of this feed
to a COW or an OK will be eaten with
a relish, and will equal a larger teed
Of the best hay. Try it, you who
may be short of the better quality of
hay. In your care of stock, remem-
Der that conafort is the thing needful
for any stock to thrive; therefore,
study to make the stock comfortable
in all respects. Hens, to supply YOU
with eggs during the cold Of winter,
must first be made comfortable by
being properly fed, and by having
warm or comfortable quarters both
for their run and for their roosts-
good sunny shelter for day time,
where they can have free access to a
variety of food, gravel, broken bones, !
green food, corn, oats, buckwheat
and clean water.