Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-30
Sunshine in the Barn.

In an address before a body
of prominent Agriculturlsts DR..
Nichols some time ago pre-
sented some curious and interesting
information, which can scarcely-be put
into a more readable form than that
which follows. DR.. Nichols said: The
stored sunshine in our barns in the form
of grain and hay is, in its utilization,
attended by losses corresponding with
those connected with change in other
forms of organized material. In mod
ern barns properly constructed
we are astonished to find how
comfortable the temperature is
when we enter them on the cold mern-
ings of winter. 1t may be difficult for
many farmers to realize that this warmth
all comes from the contents of their
hay-mows and grain bins-from actual
burning or combustion of these nutrient
materials. The long rows of cows and
ken in the stalls may be properly
stoves, in which the products of the
summer fields are burned; each animal
representing a stove of greater or less
capacity, according to the size. This
burning is not spoken of in an ideal or
poetical sense; it is actual, positive.
Every load of hay which the hesband-
man takes to his barn from his fieldsin
July or August is to be burned up in
winter; and the exact amount Of heat
which would be afforded by it's active
combustion in the field is to be gradual
" eliminated from his animals in cold
weather. And further: the amount of
heat liberated must represent in its
energizing capabilities the solar ener-
gies consumed in the growth of the
grass or grain. In other words, the
number of increments OF heat made sem
sible in the organization of o COW by the
consumption of 100 pounds of hay ex-
actly represents the number of incre-
ments of heat in the sunshine which
produced that amount of forage. The
food energies of a COW are not all ex-
pended in producing animal warmth.
A considerable portion goes toward the
milk-pail; and all the sunshine OF
fields that we can utilize in the COW is
the milk product and the adipose tissue
resulting from the fattening process.
The warmth which we experience in
our barns in winter is to a considerable
extent wasted heat energy; it is the sur
plus heat generated by the animals, and
which is radiated into space through
the respiratory and excretory organs.
We diminish this radiation of heat when
we give a bucket of water to each ami
mai, as is often done in the morning,
and the diminution of warmth in a barn
where there is a large number of ami
mails is so great that the thermometer
is sens,bly affected. The same results
are reached when water is thrown upon
a hot bed of Goals. 1t requires the
same expenditure of heat to raise 100
gallons of ice-cold water to the temper
Azure of ninety degrees F. in the organ
ism of a herd OF COWS that is required to
raise the same to like temperature by
the fires in a farmers kitchen. AS
wood and coal are cheaper products
than hay or grain, it follows that it is a
matter Of economy to warm the water
supplied to mich COWS in the winter
season. I but give voice to the expert
ence of observing farmers when l assert
that three gallons of water at the freez-
mo temperature given twice a day in
winter to a COW will cut short the milk
vroduct more than six per. cent. in the
twenty-four hours. The chemical en-.
eroy requisite to produce milk can not
be- Diverted to heating water in tho sys-
tenn of the cow without serious loss
nbSonoo TyihIne.