The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-02-03


We observe, have low mangers-low
enough for cattle to get their feet in
to them. This is following English
practice, which, where the cattle were
confined in stanchions, or tied, with
. Largo ring to slide up and down on
= round pole or iron rod, may have
been proper. But where a chain is
used with three branches, one of
which (say twenty-five inches long) is
attached to the manger, there is no
excuse for these low English struct-
ures for feeding. An earth floor an
swers for cows, with fat piece OF
timber At the rear Get in. the earth,
behind which there should be a de-
preston for the droppines. For bulls
there should be q plank :, floor, or
Stone or brick pavement. ~ III !.
Having provided proper shelter,
We should feed with q view of keep.
ing up the eond ton Of our stock
through the winter. The practice
which often prevails Of allowing cat
tie that are in high condition in thu
fall to lose from one to three hundred
pounds during the winter, is not only
the loss Of this quantity of beef, but
Of all the food consumed during the
'osnter, besides the great disadvantage
OF starting on grass in the spring with
= thin and unthrifty lot of cattle. In
our opinion, this is the principle rea-
son for the impression that breeding
and raising steers is Improbable.
All young stock, colts, calves and
lambs, should have meal or grain the
hrst winter, for this is the time to lay
the foundation for future excellence
and profit. For calves and lambs
there is no feed that pays better than
shorts and bran,-we mean the old
fashioned shorts, or middling, with
this We may probably mix shelled
corn for calves, and oats for lambs.
For colts nothing can take the place
of oats.
We wish to impress upon the mex
perienced breeder the great Importance
Of keeping up the best possible condi-
ton in the young stock during the
first winter; here is where poor
keep never fails to prove dis
astrous, and where the more
liberal expenditure for nutritious food
makes the most profitable returns.
1t is also most important that suitable
shelter should be provided for stock
1T this age. There is the same neces-
sity for nutritious food and proper
shelter for cows in milk, and it is as
cruel as it is Improbable to allow
these useful and most i'm portant ami
mails to run out, exposed to the storms
OF winter with poor or scantyF supply
Of food. The young stock over one
year old, with the dry cows, will do
very we'll ont. Of doors with the shell
ter Of ! wood lot to run to, and where
corn is cheap this may be the most
eco nomical way Of wintering such
stock. ="
We suppose that in many Of the
corn.g7owing States there is this year
good deai e corn that Is not per
tectly matured, and this may be prof:
itably disposed Of by feeding Il. in
the fodderto our cattle: And IN this
connectiea. we call attention. 70 the
fact that it is generally more
economical to feed cattle some grain,
than to undertake to keep them ex:
clusively on hay. One pound Of
meal il estimated. as equal to four
pounds Of hay. IT,, therefore, we
have, say fifty bushels Of corn. per
acre, We have for the weight of the
grain, $500 pounds,-equal to five
and . halt tons Of hay! Whether
this estimate be correct or not, we
think every practical man will agree
that IN acre Of corn, with the fodder
Cut at the proper time, is of a good
deal more value as feed for cattle
than two acres of hay. 1t is there
fore evident that the prevailing no.
ton that corn cannot pro6tably be
fed to stock-cattle is erroneous.
Az to hogs, ifs to be assumed that
good farmers will only winter over a
few sows for breeding, with, perhaps,
some fall pigs-the latter should be
pushed for the spring markets, and
comfortable quarters provided for all.
We should aim to have our pigs far
rowed not later than April SO as to
be ready for market in the fall.
DIX. .s, s,.iS - y, + .t
= 1890
Evil Communications, &C.,
scene-Mrs. Lyon Hunters drawing.