Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-06-24
Cattle Feeding.

Cattle Feeding.
The progress of the world in all mat
ters is something of which we may not
only be proud, but which is particular
ly encouraging as showing that devol-
opment OF tho human mind which ona.
bles us to work for the accomplishment
OF ends, in perfect harmony with ma
ture. In agricultural pursuits and in
stock breeding particularly, this is con-
| spicuously noticeable. Nature, IL was
found, would produce certain results II
certain conditions were complied with,
and breeding was reduced to an abso-
lutte science. Previous TO this it was all
haphazard. In-and-in breeding was
practiccd until giant horses and cattle
were reduced to pigmies; selection was
the exception and not the rule, and q
COW was COW and horse was horse.
The magnificent breeds Of cattle which
have now taken the place of the scrub
are the result of an intelligent applica-
tion of the laws of nature to breeding.
1t has been learned that n large, fine.
ly developed animal can be produced
ns easily as one that is small and is
| sharply angled.
But we have more easily learned how
to produce than we seem to have
learned how to develop. The apparent
belief that beef is beef and that quality
is absolutely n secondary matter gen.
orally prevails. Breeder and consumer
alike are strangely indifferent to quail
ity. The slop fed animal finds oppo.
nents only among the comparatively
few. Ignorance and recklessness are
the great fertile cause of tons of miser-
able, almost uneatablc beef in the mar
ket. Intelligence in feeding or judg-
ment in buying would largely decrease
the supply of this kind of meats. With
too many-we dislike TO say the major
ity, although it is rue-pounds are
what is aimed at in the fattening proc
ess, and it makes no sort Of difference
what the quality is. If an animal would
lay on flesh from eating old fence rails,
fence rails would be the food fed, il
they were more handy than anything
else. 1t does not seem to occur that
there is q difference in food with the re-
spect to the quality of meat. There are
hundreds OF sheep breeders in the coun-
try who either doubt that there is any
difference in the quality of mutton pro-
duced on weeds, or poor grass, and
that produced in the blue grass regions
of Kentucky, or wonder why it is.
The question of food is an important
one, and is second in Importance to no
question connected with the subject OF
breeding. That it is not universally
properly understood is shown by the
doubts sometimes expressed by dairy
men of long experience that the food
has any effect upon the quality of milk,
q statement whose erroneousness can
| be easily established. Nature, in the
construction of an animal, must lay the
foundation for fine quality of beef.
We cannot make o spring chicken out
| of an antiquated rooster, whatever we
may feed him on; and we cannot make
sweet, juicy beef out of an animal that
nature never intended to produce such
meat. But, with good foundation and
with good feed, we accomplish the de-
| sired result. In the selection of the
kind of food its digestibility is the first
thing TO be taken into consideration,
the reasons for which we need hardly
stop to explain, simply stating that the
more digestible food is, the better il
is. In the next place it will be neces
sary to remember that coarse folders,
produced under different circum.
stances and in different locations
are not always chemically the
same. Soil of natural quality and
fertility, for instance, will have very
marked influence upon the chemica
properties of coarse folders. TharauC
made an analysis of hay from u ma
nured meadow, and of the same kinC
of hay from one that was unmanured
finding in the first, twelve per cent o
protean and from the second only nine
per cent. Mockern analyzed ranl
plants of wheat, barley, oats and rye
at the beginning of Towering, and fount
1914 per cent. of protean in the dry mat
ter, while weaker plants contained only
104 per cent. 1t will not do. therefore
to conclude that blue grass, or clover
or any other variety is the most perfec
kind of coarse food, simply because the,
are what they are. The conditions un
der which they are grown must b,
taken into consideration, and the lessor
learned that the most perfect grasse
are produced upon the best soils. Un
der such circumstances all of the grass
es commonly grown are good for th
production of beef, and if some ar,
superior to others but will not do a
| Well on our SOIL OF III our climate
others, we must adopt the best unde
the circumstances, and submit to tn
disadvantages.
The mode of curing hay has vas
deal to do with its digestibility an'
nutritive properties. 1t scarcely nee'
be suggested that the younger and NOR
tender fodder is, the smaller general
" is the percentage of crude fiber, ant
the more digestible the crude fiber is
This certainly appeals to the Judgment
and if it did not, experiment has dem
onstrated it. Yet it is fact that man
persist in cutting grasses long afte
they have obtained a reasonable ma
turity, and, what is more, they argu
that it is best to do so. The same proc
ess of reasoning would establish in
dying tree more vitality than a thrifty
growing tree possesses. After cutting
the grass is frequently cured to death
large portion of its value dried an
burnt out of it. Grass never should
allowed to dry moment longer or
degree further than is absolutely nee
essary to insure its preservation. 1t
not only n waste of time to do NOR
than this. but il is q waste of nutritiy