Connecticut western news., 1882-08-16
FARM AND GARDEN.

COOKED AND UNoooKED MEAI.-Much has been said and written as to whether it is advisable to feed corn meal cooked or uncooked. The results of the exper- iments have not been uniform. Some experiments have served to show con- clusively that cooked meal produced more pounds of pork per bushel than the uncooked; while other experiments, apparently equally as carefully con- ducted, served to prove just the reverse. A New York farmer fed two hogs and three pigs, 73 months old, for forty eight days, to determine whether cooked or uncooked meal was the better food. The pigs and one hog were fed on cooked meal, and the other hog on un' cooked meal. The hog fed on uncooked meal gained one pound in live weight for each A pounds of meal consumed. The hog fed on cooked meal gained one pound for each 5.3 pounds of meal, and the pigs, also fed on cooked meal, gained one pound for each 5.9 pounds of meal. In an experiment made in feeding five Berkshire pigs of the same litter, the corn was fed in three ways whole, ground and the meal cooked. Five bushels of whole corn made forty seven and three:forths pounds of pork; five bushels of corn, less the miller's toll, ground and made into thick slop with cold water, made fifty eight and a half pounds of pork, and the same amount of meal well boiled and fed cold made eighty-three and half pounds of pork. In this case the cooked meal afford ed much the better result. An Iowa farmer put up twenty one-year-old hogs for fattening, and the first twenty days fed them on shelled corn, of which they ate eighty-three bushels, and gained ten pounds for one bushel of corn. The hogs were then fed fourteen days on dry corn meal, during which time they consumed forty-seven bushels, and gained eleven and three fourths pounds for each bushel. During the next four teen days they were fed on corn meal and water mixed, consumed fifty-five and half bushels, and gained thirteen and half pounds for each bushel. They were then fed fourteen days on corn meal cooked, of which they consumed forty-five bushels, and gained fifteen pounds in weight for each bushel. The result in this case was also decidedly in favor of cooked meal. Carefully con- ducted experiments at the Maine Agri- cultural College showed that the best results were obtained from the feeding of uncooked meal. Thus it will be seen that the results of experiments in regard to cooked and uncooked meal for swine are of very conflicting character, and do not tend to make the farmer who reads accounts of them feel very well settled in his mind as to which is the best course to pursue.
 EARLY Our OATS. There is greai deal of loss when oats are left to gel too ripe before cutting. When ovel ripe, or even ripe, they will always shell and this waste often amounts te ten or fifteen per cent. and if the weather happens to be unfa gorable anc they get wet and have to be handled over, the wastage will be one- quarter O. the crop. l have known instances O this kind. When too ripe, oats shel and waste easily, because the little ten drills which attach the grain to the strav become very brittle. In old times, whe1 oats were threshed with 8 fail, they were left as long as possible before cut ting, so that they would thresh easier This rule prevailed also when the stray was not considered of any particula value. When allowed to get fully rip oat straw is not worth half as much 8 it is if cut as soon as the heads turl white. When rlpe the heads and stray are yellow, and the latter becomes wood, and barren of juice, consequently com paratively tasteless and valueless fol food. When cut while the heads ar white and the straw somewhat green, i is full of juice and the gums which giv It value for food, with softer and nor digestible fibre, which adds to it's nour ishment. Oat straw cut in this manne and nicely cured, is equal, for fod der for any kind of stock, to hay C medium quality, and better than an hay for horses. It is a great deal bel ter for animals fed meal than poor hay and more profitable to feed with mes than good hay. This opens subjec for more extended remarks, which vii
 be left for another occasion. Oats wi
 not shell, nor waste scarcely any, whe
 cut according to my practice. Besides the grain will be freer from dus
 cleaner, winter and every way of bette appearance. It is true they will nc
 thresh so easily, but that is of no GOT sequence when threshing is done with
 machine.-F. D. CURTIS, Kirby Home
 stead, N. Y.
 Buying Grazing. Land.