The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-31
AGRICULTURAL.
Effects of Changing. the Diet of
Dairy Cows.


1t is fact well established by the expert
ence of dairymen, that cows which are reg
ulafly fed with grain while they are in the
pasture, even if the pasture is fresh and plen-
ty, will give more milk and make more but
ter or cheese than cows equally good but
living on grass only; yet if liberal ration of
meal is given to the cows living Oh fresh
grass. the first effect is to cause them to
shrink in their milk; and if the cows which
have become accustomed to have neal with
their grass have the meal Suddenly taken
away, they will also shrink, the pasture III
both cases being equally fresh and plenty.
The loss of milk in neither case can be
charged to the inferiority of the feed, since
the changes in the feed are the reverse
of each other, while the effects are alike.
The effect is due to the action of the stom-
acb. to adapt its character to the digestion
of an established food. The food may
change suddenly, but the action of the stom-
ach can only change slowly, and hence de-
fective digestion follows. This change in
the quality of the gastric agencies is much
more rapid an marked in young than in old
or middle-aged animals Calves and infants
often Stow such sensitiveless in regard to
the action of their stomachs that they are
made sick simply by change of milk from
one COW to that of another which differs
from the first but slightly. Though such
differences are less marked in adult animals
they must not be overlooked in making
changes of food. Changes from hay to
grass especially need to be guarded and
gradual, or serious disturbances may follow
National Live Stock Journal.
Commence the Springs Work Now.
1t is we'll known that all small grain crops
do best when sown early, 1t is equally well
known that the seeding season is short
one and that it would be of great advantage
to farmers if it could be heightened. AS a
means to this end. blowing preparatory to
spring seeding should be done the fall pre-
vious. In the spring farmers are always
pushed with their work, hence the &C tual
need of getting as much of their land as
possible ready in the fall for the seed in the
spring. Wheat, to do well, must DE put in
early, hence all the land intended for wheat
should be thoroughly plowed and prepared
the previous fall, SO that the seed can be put
in as soon as the land is in condition to be
narrowed. Land well plowed and left in
the rough in the fall, will, in many in
stances be in condition to admit of harrow
ing, filming and smoothing, even before the
frost is all out, and the seed can be got in
early, thereby securing an early start. Land
intended for oats should in like manner be
prepared the previous fall, and the earlier
the seed is got in the ground the better.
Early sowed oats always do best. Barley,
too, does much the best when sowed early.
and allland intended for this crop should be
plowed the fall previous. Barley requires
early sowing to cause it to stool out while
the weather is cool. Less seed is required
per acre when early sown. Land intended
for these crops, if thoroughly plowed the
fall previous. does not need 10 be plowed
again in the spring, but can be thorough y
fitted for seeding by the use of the harrows,
thus gaining much time and practically
frightening the reason for sneh work.