The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-01-23
Economy Of. Food and Warmth,

All animals depend upon constant
, supply of food and a certain degree Of
warmth for the maintainanee of life
although the quality of the former and
the amount Of the latter Is determined
by the climate and season 10 which
they are situated j. In southern cl;-
mates the inhabitants live on fruits
etc., whereas in the polar regiens thew
; consume large quantities Of 6sh, blub.
Der and oil, showing that cold tenn.
perature necessitates grosser food, and
that which contains large amount Of
carbon, to supply the warmth requisite
for existence.
If nature, therefore, has thus bepe-
fcently provided for the effectual
nourishment Of her creatures, why
should man, the noblest of her crea-
lures, neglect to follow out her plans
with regard to the beasts dependents
upon him, at the same time clothing
and feeding himself with selfish care
l fear simply because he thinks "it
don't pay to do it," Would lie him
self be capable of enduring hard and
continuous labor, or would he even
maintain his health, without this care3
Does it not pay to do it in his own
case-and in what respect are the
cases of horses, cows, sheep and pigs
diferent9 If it is necessary that
man should have great coat in win
ter, his habitation weather-tight and
well-warmed, and his table literally
furnished with nourishing eatebles,
why should his horse, cow, sheep OF
pig be denied plenty of dry bedding,
condemned to live (save the mark y
in barn with a leaky roof, and sides
full of cracks, with just such rations as
the farmer thinks he can sparei If
it pays in one case, why not in
the other7
Let every farmer where it is practi.
cable periodically weigh his stock this
winter, sheep and pigs especially, and
let him rest assured, when be finds
their weights at each successive weigh
ing 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 tell the tale
Of the sheep, and the poor pig, the
most neglected of all, fear, too often
becomes a bag of bones. It is on
behalf of the latter that I particularly
plead, and more especially on behalf Of
his younger brothers and sisters. II
we are to have thrifty well-formed
boars and sows for breeding purposes
next Spring, they must have snug
pens bountifally supplied with bed
ding, together with warm, nutritious
diet. Warm food in Winter is highly
desirable both for comfort and diges-
ton 1t is also economical, as any one
may easily ascertain by feeding one
pig with cold and another with warm
food. Which is most comfortable and
digestive Of a cold frosty day, bowl
Of cold soup, OF one Of warmi "Poor
piggy" would like to answer the ques-
ton, and be served accordingly, as in
all well-regulated pisgeries he is and
should be.
Some farmers, I am afraid, instead
of availing themselves of the valuable
analysis and experiments made Nv
able and devoted agriculturists, giving
accurate inf"rmatian as to the feeding
value of the different kinds of grain,
&C., study only to procure cheap food
and how little of that cheap land often
unwholesome because cheap) food their
animals can subsist on; the economical
value of generous diet and warmth
never entering their close-fsted calcu-
lations. Some of your numerous read
ers,no doubt, have experienced the
pleasant feeling, whilst sitting round
the stove some particularly stormy
night during winter, of knowing that
their animals are warm, we'll fed and
comfortable. Those who have, will
venture to assert, have never since
neglected their poor dependents.
|-[Correspondence Country Gentle
men.
A PATRIOT communication -