New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-04-07

very valuable thoughts and suggestions.
and will well repay perusal. What he
says about the competition between
Eastern feeders and cattle from the far
West, applies with about as much force
to farmers and feeders who live in nli-
n0ls, Indiana, Michigan, and other
States similarly situated. He says:
Now defined system Of stock man
tagement resting upon the laws of an
imar growth and Of the relations Of
food to each other In animal nutrition,
~ IN practice to any conside rable ex-
tent IN this country. It is 9 self-evi-
dent statement that working in har-
mony with law IS working to the best
advantage. AS farmers, we are sadly
out OF harmony with the best methods
OF STOCK management, thus coming
greatly short Of obtaining the possible
effective value OF our foods. Feeding
rs not as yet developed science, but q
very hopefully developing one. Close
" pressed BY having to compete with
the low prices OF prairie steers, the only
pc OF Eastern feeders lies in the
search f0r, and observance Of, the laws
that control in this department Of farm
husbandry Allow me then to name q
lev important points that have come
unGer my observation IN experimental
Ieedlng LOT 3 Few years past.
THE STEER TO FEED.
Every reader at once declares that
me matter IS clear-it must be steer
: tnat mas been well bred, that inherits a
Rrge capacity Tor consumption, diges-
non and assimilation OF food. 1t isuse-
less 10 attempt to feed any other for
proht IN the East, but under the head of
the steer to iced" wish to make
TINS point, resting upon my own obser-
vatiOn and that OF others:--this is the
only steer that one can afford to feed
hngn; 1or, when TED an increased ration
over an ordinary one, the well-bred
steer asslmilates very much heavier
percentage OF TINS increase than an
average steer and the poorer steer $
capacity LOT assimilation IS SO low that
" VIII not give favorable response to
alheaVy ration.
LARGE BREEDS.
Our steer must be of the larger
breeds, for o rapidly growing, or, a
large animal, will make more growth
on pound OF food than one of q smaller
breed. A large beast presents less ra-
daung surface in proportion to weight
than small one; thus, in case Of the
latter, more food is required, particu-
LARRY in winter, to maintain the animal
heat. On this head practical exper-
renee confirms theoretical considera-
lions: The animal should be early ma
tured. Ii steer is sold when four and
one-haH years OF age, weighing 1900
pounds. then his average weight for his
lifetime would have been not far from
oW pounds. Such an 8O0-pound steer
! have found will consume fourteen
pounds of hay q day as maintenance
fodder, making no growth. Now the
steer has consumed fourteen pounds
day for four and one-half years.-how
many steers require six years to weigh
LOCO pounds!--s simply to run the ma
chine. 1t is the hay given over this
amount daily that makes the growth.
Growing our steer to 600 pounds at
two and one-half years will save main
tenance fodder for two years, or, in
round numbers, for two winters, or $50
days, we shall save two and one-qnartcr
tons OF hay. as well as two years pas
turing But again find that a young
animal will make more gain on a pound
OF food than an older one, thus making
a double gain: Moreover, an animal,
when small. will make very much more
gam than the animal nearly matured.
The difference is so great as to become
OF much Importance This fact should
lead us SO to breed rs to getean animal
that will come into shape to command
fnllmarket prices at much less weight
than that named. Could market de-
mand De developed for SOO-pound
calves, these could be furnished at a
profit by the side of Texas steers
FEED FOR MANURE.
Unhappily most farmers consider
this heading as part of another ques-
ton. IT. is, however, inseparably con-
nected With the entire system of mixed
farming with us. For generation
most OF the stock OF New England has
been kept for the direct purpose of
manure-making, and they are vet it's
cheapest sources. We're It not 50. in a
comparatively short time there would
be but little stock in the East. Yet in
feeding, the prime obiect-the fact that
our steers are simply manure factories
lis lost sight of. The Enplishman's
first question is: ..What is the manure
value of the food?'' Then in buying
foods buy heavily because l find #
the cheapest means of obtaining plant
food, and for another object will name
further OIL always consider the