The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-07-11
Oats VS.. Indian Corn.

"The sun (world) do move" Old TO-
gyism moves to the background and pro-
gressive agricultural advances to the
front. The movement Is slow, but it is q
movement, and as the tide rises the old
ship will clear the strand which has
ground her bottom for ages.
It is curious to hear intelligent far
mers, learned men, acknowledging now,
for the first time, what common observa-
lstion should have taught them. moss
grown ages ago, but it is better late than
never.
Mr.. A. B. Allen, of New York, . gen.
tloman of culture and experience in agri-
cultural products, stock, ETC., hastens to
express his appreciation of the opening
of the subject by B. F. j. in the Country
Gentleman, of the comparative value OF
Oats and Indian Corn, as horse food. 1t
is gratifying to know Mr.. Allen is equal
to the emergency, and that his expert
ence confirms the established usage OF
thousands of good farmers in Other: sec
tions. He truthfully says, Corn is not
only too heating, especially for horses
under eight years old, but it does not
make the fine hard bones, and tough
cords, sinews and muscles, that oats do.
When Western corn-fed horses are
brought to the East they cannot be put
to hard trucking Immediately, but have
to be used at first with much care, and
broken gradually to it. 1t generally
takes six months to q year of oat and hay
feeding, with moderate work, to give
them sufficiently hard flesh and tough
muscle to endure the strain of city carts
and heavy two-horse trucks"
It seems that the true value of oats
will be recognized, after awhile, in spite
of Indian corn, and men will get back to
the forgotten old truth, that oats are the
natural food of the horse.
What Mr.. Allen says of horses carried
from the West to the East, occurs with
the same horses brought here to the
South, except that very few of our far.
mers have yet learned how to feed and
toughen the Western horses before put to
heavy draft. When their. horses seemed
delicate, too much heated, and unable to
stand heavy work, they attributed it all
to the change of climate, not for mo-
ment" considering the necessity of a
change of food.
The advantage Of oat feeding is now,
however, beginning to be generally re:
cognized, and we may confidently expect
"a great improvement, in farming and
other. stock. The horses and; mules OF
the country will be better,kept, will last
longer, and be healthier, thus greatly di!
minishing the amount annually paid out
for farm stock, and marking another era
in the progress Of farm economy.
The sooner all our farmers recognize
and adopt such valuable discoveries and
improvements, the sooner will they.
emerge from the poverty and straights OF
"hard times" and begin to make their
farms selfsustaining. E.hThey cannot
afford, either through ignorance, preju.
dice or habit, to ignore such valuable
truths, while, the family support impe-a:.
lively demands the utmost economy and
exertion. With so much said and writ
ten daily and hourly On all these subjects,
with books and newspapers so cheap,
how can any man'excuse himself? His
folly leaves him without even the poor
excuse of fignorance.--Savannah Ne,cs.;'