The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-12-05
Economy of Food and Warmth

h1ountry Gentleman
AS winter is fast approaching, and |
the comfort Of his stock during this
Indictment season should be the main |
study of the farmer, permit me to |
call his attention to the loss he in
ours by neglecting to properly house
and feed it. leaving humanity out of
the question. All animals depend
upon a constant supply of food and
certain degree of warmth for the
maintenance of life. although the
quality of the former and the amount
of the latter is determined by the
climate and season in which they
are situated. In southern climates,
the Inhabitants live on fruit, &c.
whereas in the polar regions they
consume large quantities of fish. blub-
Der and oil, showing that a cold
Temperature necessitates grosser
food, and that which contains large
amount of carbon, to supply the
warmth requisite for existence. How
( differently, too, the animals and
men are clothed in hot and cold
climates:
If Nature, therefore, has thus
benefcently provided for the effect
ual nourishment of her creatures,
why should man, the noblest of her
creations, neglect to follow out her
plans with regard to the beasts de-
pendent upon him, at the same time
clothing and feeding himself with
selfish care? Ifear simply because
he thinks sit don't pay to do it,"
Would he himself be capable of en-
during hard and continuous labor,
or would he even maintain his health
without this care? Does it not pay
TO do it in his own case-and in
what respect are the cases of horses,
COWS. sheep and pigs different? 1t
is necessary that man should
have a great coat in winter, his habi
tations weather-tight and well-warm-
ed. and his table literally furnished
with nourishing eatables, why should
his horse, COW, sheep or pig be de-
MED plenty of dry bedding, con-
demned to live (save the mark } in a
barn with a leaky roof, and sides
full of cracks, with just such rations
as the farmer thinks he can spare
/ If it pays in one case, why not in
the other?
Let every farmer where it is prac-
ticable, periodically weigh his stock
this winter, sheep and pigs especi-
ally, aud let him rest assured, when
he finds their weights at each suc=
cessive weighing, stationary, or
nearly so, that he is losing money
and wasting his feed. No animals
pay, that barely exist. The horse
loses power and endurance, the cow
shrinks her milk, the light clip of
wool and the scanty number of
puny lambs in the spring tells the
tale Of the sheep, and the poor pig,
the most neglected of all, fear. too
often becomes bag of bones. 1t is
on behalf of the latter that | par
ticularly plead, aud more especially
on behalf of his younger brothers
and sisters. If we are to have thrift
ty. well-formed bears and soWs for
breeding purposes next spring, they
must have snug pens, plentifully
supplied with bedding, together with
warm nutritious diet. Warm food in
winter is highly desirable. both for
comfort and digestion. 1t is also
economical. as any one may easily
ascertain by feeding one pig with
cool and another with warm food.
Which is most comforting and d.
gestible on cold frosty day, bowl
of warm soup, or one of cold?
"Poor piggy" would like to answer
the question. and be served accord
ingly, as in all welI-regulated pig.
| geries he is and should be.
Some farmers, am afraid, instead
of availing themselves of the valua-
BILE analyses and experiments made
by able and devoted agriculturists,
giving accurate information as to
the feeding value of the different
kinds of grain, &C.. study only how
to procure cheap food and how little
of that cheap land often unwhole-
some because cheap food their ami
mails can suosist on; the economi-
cal value of generous diet and
warmth never entering their close
listed calculations. Some of your
numerous readers, no doubt. have
experienced the pleasant feeling,
whilst sitting round the stove some
particularly stormy night during
winter, of knowing that their ami
mails are warm. well fed and COM
Portable. Those that have, l will
venture to assert, have never since
neglected their poor dependents.
Going Counting.