The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-11-17

Dy cOId mas discouraged the l;tll sowing
of oats and q partial substitute IS very
desirable, especially in the northern por-
tions of the cotton belt. Barley appears
10 be the best within reach. It is very
hardy; seldom injured by cold and
supplies very excellent feed for horses.
The unsettled question is, III what shape
and how to feed it? We have seen it
stated that, in California, horses are
turned loose on stack of barley rs COWS
are upon stack Of hay OF straw. After
barley is tlrcshed and the beard IS
broken off the grains, the latter could Ger
taiuiv be fed like any other grain. Can
not some reader throw the light OF eN-
perience on this point Ii barley IS
Sowm on ordinary land without fertlllza-
tion, not more than one and half or
two bushels should be sown on an acre
and November is a good month to SOW It
when the object is not grazing OF soihng,
but the production Of grain and straw.
It should always, however, he sown on
the best land that is available, and more
or less manuring will pay, as it does on
almost every crop. As there is great GER
taintv of not being winter killed and the
crop is rs free from casualties as any
grown, one can Very trustinSiy apply
manure to it. Since writing the above,
Judge Belts, the Commissioner of Agll-
culture of Alabama, has informed us
that for twenty years he has raised barley
for llorse-feed in northern Alabama with
great success, and feeds it Just as he
feeds sheaf oats. With barley as will
rye, it is important to SOW homegrown
seed. Most of the seed obtained from
the North is spring-raised, and will not
do well in our climate. The May birds
are the greatest enemy to this crop.
They usually pass through our section
when the barley is in milk, and prove
quite destructive. Boys and shotgun<
are the best remedies.
As cold weather approaches, suitable
provision should be made for the care ot
Stock. Close barns and cellars are rarely
needed in our warm climate; but shelter
from cold rains and barriers against colo
winds are imperativeiy called tcr. Sim
pie shelters planked up, OF even vel
brushed up on the north and west sides
will answer every purpose. They may
be constructed Of poles, to be had OF
every farm, and covered with plank roofs
which can be taken down when the win
ter is over and stored away under shelte!
until the next season. Thus managed
they will last a very long time.
The usual practice in feeding trough:
ness" is to throw it on the ground, an(
lei the COWS pick over and tramplo upon it
and the tramping usually exceeds the
picking. 1t is a most wasteful practice,
4 better, and at same time inexpensive
and convenient method is to have racks
with the Stats near together-not WIDE
enough apart to admit the cows nose
but only its tongue, so that it can puL
out only a little at a time. It not only
prevents waste from forage being pulled
out and trod under foot, but enable:
the animals to tear off pieces small
enough to be chewed-to divide shuck
for instance, into several mouthfuls.
It is also very desirable to suppl y ami
mails with water, not too cold during
Geld weather. Cows drink large guam
tity of water, and when the latter is
nearly at the freezing point, it has to be
warmed up in the stomach by anima
heat-raised,> say forty to one hundred
degrees. Now, animal heat is generate
from food, and if an animal drinks mucl
cold water, it must eat more food where
with to warm it. II practicable, water
should be conducted in a pipe, some dis
tance underground, from spring to the
lot. 1t would thus get within reach Of
animals at a temperature OF about sixty
degrees. Such an arrangement would
also insure animals against the neglec;
OF servants in supplying water or OF sup,
plying it regularly. Ii one considers
the time consumed in drawing water
from well and carrying it to animals,
or in leading animals to q watering
trough day after day and year after year.
how long would the labor and time
thus expended run up bill Of costs in
excess Of that of the piping and othe1
fixtures requisite to convey it warm and
fresh to every stall?
The remarks about warm water for
stock apply With equal force to warm
food as against cold. The practice of
cooking food, which at one time was
largely practiced, from the belief that
its nutritiousness and digestibllity were
largely increased thereby, has advantage
in the matter Of heat, though shown by
experiment not to be superior to Un-
cooked food in other respects. Under
some circumstances it might be more
economical to warm the food Of COWS IN
extremely cold weather by cooking or
stean;ing. than to have the animal warm
it by consuming more food. AS rule
wood and coal are cheaper than forage
and grain.
It is sometimes the case that cooking
or sseaming is decidedly advantageous
by impartirg the favor of the more
palatable to that which is less SO, III a
mixed ration. Wheat straw, foS instance,
abounds in hydro -carbons, but IS de.
ticient in nitrogen; cotton seed meal
ai,osads in nitrogen; the two supple
ment eae:l other and make good feed.
5ut ii fed separately. an animal would
not eat the straw well, because it IS not
paiatable food it is defective IN Eayor.
The quantity Of cotton seed meal prop
er for en- animal is too snail to be mixed
well with tle necessary amount Of straw,
even when tLo latter is cut up. But
will imparI tie favor of the
meal to as much straw as is desirable.
The compounding Of different kinds cf
feed IL proper proportions, is not Only
desirable tcc the health and thrift OF
animals, but extremely important in an
economical point OF view. Excess Of
z i I.