Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-12-28
DaiIp Kennehsr 3ournal.
A Double Profit From Feeding
PrOvender to Stock.

/ AONCAkOGA ~ SNOSN'
There are, no doubt, many advanced
farmers in the State of Maine who are ir
the habit of making a liberal use of prev
ender in the feeding OF stock. They dc
it not because they are forehanded and
able to do so, but because they know by
practical experience that it pays. And we
might add, that in our opinion, in many
instances. it is the following of this prac.
tice that has been the means Of making
them fore-handed. In fact it is a course
of action that paws in two directions, di.
rectly, and in other ways indirectly. II
benefits the animals it is fed to, and the
increased value of the manure as con-
sequence of such feeding. greatly helps
in maintaining and even improving the
fertility of the farm.
A. o. Ingersoll, Esq, member of the
board of Agriculture, for Penobscot Co.,
and practical farmer of great experience
and keen observation, struck the key note
of this subject at a late Farmers Insti-
tute in Carroll, when he said, "A proper
course to pursue in order to increase the
fertility of the soil is to purchase
grain. or to appropriate that which
is raised. and feed. with folders,
to the stock of the farm. This
can be done at profit. and at the
same time add greatly to the fertility Of
the farm. The cost of this purchased TODD
is much more than made up by the in
creased value of the animals, and the fer
tilizing value is clear gain. A rapid
growth is easily secured by such feed, and
may be made continuous every day the
animals are on your hands,"
This is reliable testimony right to the
point, and the very important lesson it
contains should be well considered and
fully needed by all farmers who have not as
yet adopted the advanced way OF feeding.
Besides those great direct advantages,
there are indirect advantages OF very con-
siderable Importance. The first l will
mention is the saving of fodder; for the
more provender you feed an animal the
less fodder it will eat or need; and even a
coarse fodder will often suffice in order to
keep an animal in good condition.
Another benefit arises from the fact that
common hay, alone, although of good
quality, does not contain the right proper
tiOns of the two elements of nutrition,
albuminoids, and Carbohydrates, not hav-
ing enough of the former to preserve a
proper equilibrium for producing the best
results in the animal economy.
Consequently an animal has to
consume more of the Carbohydrates
than it needs in order to get full
ration of albuminoids: causing thereby a
waste of the former. Cotton seed meal
is extremely rich in the last mentioned,
having 43.7 parts albuminoids, to 21 5 Of
Carbohydrates and IA of fat. So it will be
seen that small quantity of it is sufficient
to restore the proper ratio of the two that
is required.
The Secretary of the Board of Agricul-
ture, Gan excellent authority,) says a
standard ration for COW in milk is 2.5
lbs. of albuminoids, g and 5 tenths we pre-
sumo he means, as he uses no ounce
marks,) - 1-2 Carbohydrates and 04 fat.
He says 25 lbs. hay furnish Is albumin
oids and 11.2 of Carbohydrates giving only
about one-seventh of the former to the
latter, while the standard ration requires
one-fiith. Thus it will be seen by the
dullest comprehension that ordinary hay
does not contain the nutritive Qualities in
right proportion for the best results,
and that unless person has large guam
tity OF clover hay. Tin which albuminoids
prepOnderate as a standard ration to mix
in, provender becomes q necessity. Hence
the reason why village feeders, who al
most invariable feed provender. beat the
farmers ''every time," who trust alto
gether to their hay NOW.