The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-02-18
For the NEws.
LIVE STOCK.
ClOdhOpper Talks on the Above Subject.

The past summer and the present winter
have both, in their way, been very remark
able. The summer for the extent aud
severity Of the drouth, and the winter for
the severity Of the cold in many sections of
our extensive domain. The rule is. or At
least has been, for a mild winter TO follow
poor harvest. believe that it was John
Johnston, "the veteran farmer Of New
York" " who said that "God never made a
summer but that He made winter TO
match it." Aud strange as it may seem,
there is a kind Of compensatory relation
which as a general rule, holds good between
the summer aud the succeeding winter.
It becomes every careful farmer to keep
as much live stock on hand as his means of
sustenanoe will justify. The profits Of the
farm are made up of what is grown for
market, aud the more produce there is to
sell, the more the profit, provided the farm
is not impoverished thereby. Selling much
grain will impoverish much more rapidly
than selling live stock.
But have found this a hard winter on
all kinds Of domestic animals, and although
feed is scarce in this section, have never,
so it seems to me, known it to take so much
OF all kinds Of fodder to keep given num-
Der of animals in good growing condition.
And it is very bad policy not to keep
young stock growing right along all of the
time. The profit on an animal is all in the
growth it makes, aud when we allow our
young stock to lose flesh it is Just so much
loss' or so much money thrown away. It
costs so much to make every pound Of fesh
and hence every pound Of flesh lost by
calves or pigs, is just 80 much gone, only
to be recovered at 80 much per pound, be-
sides the loss Of time.
The earlier domestic animals can be
marketed the more profit. It takes so
much grain or grass to make a pound Of
beef or pork in warm or mild weather, and
and 80 much more in very cold weather.
Hence the better plan is to fatten stock for
market, as far as practicable, in mild
weather. A young animal makes a much
greater gain on a given amount of feed
than older animals, hence the younger ami
mails can be made ripe ior market the more
real profit
But when stock Of ell kinds is selling for
very low prices, and feed of all kinds high
and hard to get, a great many farmers will
let their young animals get poor rather
than buy feed. This is bad; far better to
buy enough forage to keep everything
growing right along. Especially heifers
that are to come in the coming spring.
For all such, including the breeding
ewes, a grain ration, at least once day,
from this on isalmost a necessity. Hefsrs
that are coming in the first time, may have
the milking quality permanently aHected
by their present condition. II they are
very thin in flesh they can not start of
with any great flow Of milk, and frequently
a poor milking habit may be established in
what, if well and properly fed and cared
for would have made an excellent mixer
Strong, well fed ewes hardly ever refuse
their lambs, whilst young ones that have
been allowed to get poor, having no flow Of
milk, don't seem to feel the maternal in
stinct, and many Of such will refuse their
lambs access to what little there is, and
many Of such lambs will perish.
Feed we'll, but feed carefully. a. waste.
fulnssa in feeding farm animals is great
and leading characteristic Of the Western