News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-31
FARM AND GARDEN.

COOKED AND UNLOCKED MEAL. Much
has been said and written as to whether
1t Is advisable to feed corn meal cooked
or uncooked. The results of the exper-
lments have not been uniform, Some
experiments have served to show con-
cluslvely that cooked meal produced
more pounds of pork per bushel than
the uncooked; while other experiments.
apparently equally as carefully con-
Quoted, served to prove just the reverse.
A New York farmer fed two hogs and
three pigs, Y 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 I'M
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 SO 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.
Fiie 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
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-ftve 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-
Quoted 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 uucooked meal for swine
are of very conflicting character, and
do not tend to make the farmer who
reads accounts of them feel very we'll
settled in his mind as to which is the
best course to pursue.
EARLY Cur OATs.-There is o great
deal of loss when oats are left to get
too ripe before cutting. When over
ripe, or even ripe, they will always
shell and this waste often amounts to
ten or fifteen per cent. and if the
weather happens to be unfa gorable and
they get wet and have to be handled
over, the wastage will be ore quarter of
the crop. l have known instances of
this kind. When too ripe, oats shell
and waste easily, because the little ten
drlls which attach the grain to the straw
become very brittle. In old times, when
oats were threshed with a fail, they
were left as long as possible before cut.
ting, so that they would thresh easier.
This rule prevailed also when the straw
was not considered of any particular
value. When allowed to get fully ripe
| oat straw is not worth half as much as
Ills 1t cut as soon as the heads turn
white. When ripe the heads and straw
are yellow, and the latter becomes woody
----r1 Lss--ss-. u JUGS, consequently COM
paratlvely tasteless and valueless for
food. When cut while the beads are
white and the straw somewhat green, it
is full of juice and the gums which give
| 1t value for food, with a softer and more
| digestible fibre, which adds to its nour
ishmeDt. Dat straw cut in this manner
and nicely cured, is equal, for fod
der for any kind of stock, to hay o.
medium quality, and better than any
hay for horses. It is a great deal bet
ter for animals fed meal than poor hay
| and mora rrofitah1a RI food with mo
than good hay. This opens subjec
for more extended remarks, which vii
be left for another occasion. Oats vii
not shell, nor waste scarcely any, wher
cut according to my practice. Besides,
the grain will be freer from dust
cleaner, whittier and every way of better
appearance. 1t is true they will moi
thresh so easily, but that is of no con
sequence when threshing is done with 6
machine.-F. D. CURTIS, Kirby Home
stead, N. Y.