The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-03-23
TOPICS FOR FARMERS
Pumpkins for Dairy stock.-The wis

Pumpkins for Dairy Stock.-The wise
man tell us that "There is nothing new
under the SUM-" SAYS an intelligent
writer. But, verify, the idea advanced
by some that pumpkins, containing their
seeds, are specially hurtful to milch
cows is certainly new to me. From my
earliest recollection, they were thus fed
by nv father, as they had been by his
father before him; and continued the
same practice during the succession of
years in which | was engaged in dairy
ing, without eyer dreaming of the risk
we are now supposed to have run.
The practice was to collect q quantity
of pumpkins, as soon as the flush of fall
feed began to diminish, and each even
ing, after milking, scatter them about
on clean grass ground in some conven-
lent place, breaking them up into pieces
of convenient size for the cows to masti-
cate freely, without thought of any
necessity for first removing the seeds.
1t strikes me as somewhat remarkable
that If this new theory in regard to the
injurious effect of the seeds on the cows
is correct! that / never discovered it in
the coursef of more than forty years OPP
portunity or observation, and / flatter
myself that paid more than ordinary
attention to all such matters, and | think
/ may safely say this without subject
ing myself to the charge of egotism
and | will further say, that during the
whole time | was engaged in dairying, |
never lost single animal by disease,
never had one affected by anything more
serious than temporary illness, and never
had single case of abortion in my herd.
During all this time, my cows were fed
freely with pumpkins-seed and all
every fall, according to the supply.
1t is not claimed that the pumpkin
furnishes any great amount of nutri-
ment, in proportion to its bulk, as we
know it is composed largely of water.
The same is true in greater or less de-
gree of the beet, the turnip, the cabbage,
and we find them all to be valuable feed
for dairy stock. That the pumpkin
tends to increase the flow of milk, | have
had ample evidence. Another advan-
tage in the feeding is found after begin
ming to feed hay, in keeping up the col
or of the butter as we'll as its flavor,
and in this respect it is only equaled by
the carrot. Partly with these objects in
view, the practice has been to gather the
pumpkin crop prior to the coming on OF
hard frosts, store them under cover,
and feed them out daily in the stalls.
Should the weather become quite severe
before the supply is exhausted, GOV
ering of hay or straw may be used for
further protection.
The diuretic property of the seeds
has long been believed in, and was form.
erly almost proverbial. But personal
experience induces me to believe the
idea was very much exaggerated. When
the country was new, fruit was far less
abundant than at present, and to make
up for the deficiency, it was customary
each fall, to dry large quantities of
pumpkins for future use Ny father
family was no exception to others in
this usage. While boy, it was part of
my duties to assist in the preliminary
preparations for this drying, and an inn
portant perquisite to me was the privi-
lege of saving as many of the seed rs
desired for my own future use After
drying them carefully, | stored them
away as carefully, for that purpose, and
used them as frequently and as freely at
any and at all times, as | desired, with
out experiencing the least injury or in
convenience to myself. Indeed, used
them as freely as peanuts (then unknown
to us) or other nuts are used by children
at the present day. Hence l am induced
to believe that the scare about their in
furious effects is all moonshine."