The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-10

maica Plains, Mass, we notice "miNcd
rations- mentioned under the general
heading Of " Food Of Animals, = and IL Is
a subject well worthy Of the consideration
Of every owner of stock. No animal,
biped or quadruped, Is satisfied with
one variety of food. Milk comes the
nearest Ia satisfying the animal wants,
n il contains al the elements requisite
for the development Of every part Of the
animal system. II is M the same time
food and drink, and will make blood,
bones, flesh, fat, hide, hair--in short.
viii satisfy the demands Of the animal
economy every way better than any
other food But even milk becomes
monotonous after a time, and, though
il may sustain life, still il does not salts
fl the craving for variety, and without
this variety the animal does not thrive.
We have recently been study
ing the instincts Of fawn,
fresh from the Adirondacks, and
find that with his daily ration Of
milk he wants leaves If various kinds.
Cabbage leaves satisfied him for time,
bat when some browse was thrown into
his pen, he jumped for IL a. for a sweet
morsel Beech and birch We're alike
greedlv dcyoured. but after feeding on
one kind for time he was evidently
pleased with another, though apple-tree
leaves gave him the most permanent
satisfaction. Fresh clover and grass
would be neglected at any time for some
suckers from All apple tree, and if an
apple was occasionally offered him, his
gratitude was expressed with an extra
shake Of his tail and twinkle in his eye
that were as expressive rs words.
The instinct Of the dumb beast evil
IDENTITY agrees with the reason of man in
demanding what the Bussey Professors
call mixed rations." No farmer would
like to be confined TO corned beef and
pork a. steady diet 365 days in the
year, though his "pot-luck" might be
accompanied with cabbage and pota-
To and his appetite sharpened with mus
tard and vinegar. Roast beef and plum
pudding would also fail to satisfy the
palate Of the veriest epieure, il these
were his only rations day after day.
All men recognize in themselves the
physical law demanding mixed rations,
and when they cater for humanity Prac-
tice upon it. In most families that are
well managed there j. a succession Of
different dishes for each day Of the
week. Thus, the average Bostonian
thinks he must have baked beans and
brown bread for Sundays dinner, and
boiled fish for Friday. with roast beef,
lamb, turkey, chickens. and corned
beef on the Intervening days. the order
VARYING in different families, but the
change being universal. lie would be
considered demoralized Yankee who
should provide for his household roast
lamb or turkey two days in succession.
Now. the inferior animals may not have
such delicate tastes, certainly they have
not such pampcred appetites, a.
city children, but they have the
same love Of variety. and in their
wild state crafty II a. well as they can,
and nature has provided the means for
gratifying il to far greater extent than
most people suppose. The number Of
forage plants j. almost unlimited Be
sides the great variety Of grasses--F'lint
names i2J in his treatise ON grasses
there are weeds. bushes, and trees in
great numbers on which most wild ami
malS feed extensively. Many Of them
also have delicious dessert II the va
ri0ns fruits in their season. Our do
mestic animals, fed on drs hay alone
from November 70 May. must suffer,
and If they only could talk n well as
children, they would say, :. We want
change"
Exactly what the variety in food shall
be, each farmers every family does
must decide according TO circumstances,
and we can lay down no universal law,
except the general one Of variety. We
will venture, however, to make some
suggestions on this point. In the first
place, there should be some variety in
the hay. To confine horses 10 timothy
and cows to red-top j. unwise, II not
cruel. Horses are very grateful for a
little we'll cured clover occasionally, and
like bite Of fresh grass OF rowen hay
better than oats. Trottcrs and hard
worked horses are seldom allowed such
bite, a IL makes them relaxed and
perspratory, but II does them good not
withstanding. and ifcvery Sunday morn
ing they could be furnished with good
feed u rowcn, they would be more
healthy and live longer. Fresh grass il
natures physic, but the fast horseman
prefers arsenic or some other drug pois-
on, and will not allow his horse new hay
Or new oats. They must be old and dry
as cob, or his horse will not come
around ahead on the fifth heat. In win
ter, the non-trotting season, the fast
horse fares better, as his steady summer
rations Of dry hay and oats are then va
ried with an occasional feed Of carrots
and mash Of bran.
Apples make an excellent dish for
COWS and horses, and one which they rel
ish greatly. They are as healthy food
for stock in the barn as for the stock 81
children in the house, and it j. difficult