The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-07-12
OATS vs.. INDIAN CORN.


The sun (world) do move" Old fogy-
ism moves to the background and progress
sive agriculture advances TO the front. The
movement is slow, but it is movement,
and as the tide rises the old ship will clear
the strand which has ground her bottom for
ages. 49, -
1t is curious to hear. intelligent formers,
learned men, acknowlcdg gipgs poYs fort
first time, what commop observation-disclosures
have taught them moss 1fown ages ago, but
it is better late than .aeser,
Mr.. A. B Allen, Of New York, gen.
tlemau Of culture and experience i'll agricul-
tural products, stock, etc, hastens to ex-
press his appreciation Of the opening of the
subject by b. T. j in the Country Gentle
man, of the comparative value of Oats and
Indian Corn, as horse food 1t is gratify-
ing to know Mr.. Allen is equal to the emer-.
Sency, and that his experience confirms the
established usage of thousands of good far
mors in other sections. 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, sincws and muscles, that oats do
When Western corn-icd horses arc brought
to the East they cannot be put to hard
trucking Immediately, but have to be used
at first with much care, and broken gradu-
ally to it. 1t generally takes from six
months to a 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"
1t seems that the true value of oats will
be recognized, after awhile, in spite of In
dian corn, and men will gee back to the
, forgotten old truth, that oats arc the ndtu-
raj 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, cx-
ccpt that very few of our farmers have yet
| learned how to feed and toughen the West
ern 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 moment considering
the necessity Of change Of food
/ The advantage Of oat feeding is now,
however, beginning to be generally recog-
nizcd, and We may confidently expect n
ShCSl improvement Ill OlHCI
stock. The horses and mules of the coun.
try will be better kept, will last longer and
bc healthier. thus greatly diminishing the
amount annually paid out for farm stock,
and making another era in the progress of
farm economy.
The sooner all our farmers recognize and
adopt such valuable discoveries and improve
| mcnts, the sooner will they emerge from
the poverty and straights Of "harl times, "
and begin to make thcir farms self sustain
Ing. They cannot afford, either through
ignorance, prejudice or halt, to ignore
such valuable truths, while the family sup
port imperatively demands the utmost econ
omy and eycrtion. With so much said and
written daily and hourly on all these slb,
jccts, with books and newspapers SO cheap
how can any man excuse himscf?, Hi.
folly leaves him without even the poor cx
cusc of ignorance. Ia. G. Bin ,S0ron
nah NcrS.
| q