The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-01-31
APPLES AS STOCK FOOD.
Good for Cows, Calves, Hogs and Horse
If Properly Fed.


If Properly Fed.
A few questions received on this sub
ject. show that opinions are not yet set
tied on the value of apples as food fol
stock. One asks if apples will produce
good favored milk. Another, if sour
apples will fatten pigs; another if APP
pies will be safe for four or five-months
calves.
First-Apples have been fed to cows,
with good results both in increasing the
yield and improving the quality of milk.
We have eaten butter from milk of cows
fed on apples and early-cut hay, and
found the quality excellent. But it
pust be remembered that too large a
quantity of apples will decrease the
yield of milk. This may result from
the fact that apples are composed al
most wholly of carbohydrates; nutri-
tive ratio is one to forty-three. OF
course apples do not contain all the ele-
ments in due proportion to make milk
No more than one-half bushel per day
should be fed to a COW, and from that
to one peck. Apples contain an acid
which assists in the digestion OF other
food, and thus, when fed in moderate
quantity, they appear to be more nutri-
tious than they are. Apples, also, pro-
mote health by being slightly laxative
and keeping the secretions OF the stom-
ach healthy.
Second-Apples have proved very
beneficial to pigs, especially when on
clover. The clover being heterogeneous,
and the apples just the opposite, these
foods seem to complement each other.
In such cases pigs will fatten fast, even
upon sour apples. We have known pigs
grown to 400 pounds, live weight, on
apples and clover. The pork is found
to be peculiarly sweet in flavor. We
never knew pig to be i'll when fed
moderately upon apples. But it is well
to feed corn or meal for few weeks
before killing, as this will ripen up and
harden the pork. Sweet apples will
fatten pigs faster than sour, if apples
are principally depended upon, but if
grain is fed with the apples, then sour
will do even better than sweet, as the
acid will assist in the digestion Of the
grain.
Third-Apples are also beneficial in
growing calves. Calves are apt to be
fed almost wholly upon dry food, and
this sometimes produces feverish state
of the system, and they become what is
called s'hide-bound. The apples will
cleanse the stomach and give them a
good appetite. We have seen
six quarts of apples to calf pro-
duce remarkably thrifty growth,
when the other food was good. The
English feed turnips largely to all
young stock, and these promote. a
healthy growth, but we think apples
quite as good as turnips. They give
them such vigorous appetite, causing
them to eat and digest more other food
with keen relish, and thus to make a
rapid growth.
In feeding apples to cattle, it is safest
to run them through root cutter, so as
to prevent all danger of choking; with
early cut and nicely cured clover hay,
two quarts of oats and six quarts of ap-
pies, we have known calves to gain
ninety pounds per month.
Apples are also an excellent relish for
horses. We have found them q pro-
lection against disease in work horses.
They are very fond of them, and will
digest their other food better with few
quarts of apples, and for this fact we
have come to regard them almost as
valuable as oats for the work horse,
when fed in place of four quarts of oats.
National Lice Stock Journal