The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-03-08
THE FEEDING QUESTION.
The Hest ssfeihoi az Supplying All Nee,
Of n Cows system.

The Hest method ri Supplying All Need
nj n Cows system.
or all the subjects that engage tn,
attention Of the dairyman Or stock
raiser. noneis Of more vital Importance
to his Success than that of feeling. 1t
is not so much question Of selecting
better stock. which is always dificul
and sometimes impossible. ~ it is of
making the most of what he has alread,,
on hand. The first question is what t.
feed, and tl1e next how to feed it. Very
few have any rational ideas about
either. Most are governed by habit and
vague notions. and make very little If
any intelligent efforts to provide proper
food in proper condition. but feed on
whatever they may have without any
definite idea Of its character or the
needs Of their animals to which 1t il
given.
The offices of food. beyond some gen.
cral idea of keeping the COW from
starving and perhaps getting little
milk from her. are entirely overlooked.
Few understand that the offices of food
are to nourish tn. boly. keen the cow
warm. and afford her a surplus to be
converted into milk; and fewer still un-
dcrsland that two quite distinct classes
or elements of food are necessary to
accomplish the ends. But without such
understanding and the knowledge
requisite to this end there can be 70
Intelligent or economical feeding. and
as natural result no great or assured
degree of success.
The system of the COW is c0mposcd
of some thirteen or fourteen simple elc-
ments. which are easily distinguished
BY the chemist. Ofsuch simplea, there
are some sixtv-fve in nature known TO
the chemist. but only very few Of
them are yisiblv essential to the sus-
tenance of the animal body. however
many more it may contain in minute
quantities. Theoretically perhaps they
are all contained in the animal system.
But whatever it may contain must
manifesily be drawn from three sources
the food the COW eats. the water she
drinks anil the air she brcathes; and
as these are used up. additional mate
rails to supply their places must be
drawn fromthc same sources. A lack
of any of the essential elements must
be felt by the COW and NANTES; itself
in a vague craving. Il los. of Il 'sh or
fat. or in disease. Every dairyman
ought 10 know this. and to possess the
most advanced knowledge Of the day
rs to the best methods Of supplying oil
the needs of the cows system. Who
ever lacks this in these days Of books
and papers devoted 10 the interests Of
the agricultural portion of the com
munity. can not consistently be called
An intelligent dairyman.
Two classes Of foods are recognized
by the scientist. who has been working
for the benefit Of the agriculturist, Al
well rs for the rest Of mankind. These
he designatcs heterogeneous and carbon
aceons. The first class of foods are
muscle or lean meat producing and
milk producing. The second, or car.
bonaceous. class Of foods are heat pro
ducing. and under proper conditions
are converted into surplus fat for fu.
ture use in producing heat when the
food may be insufficient or lacking In
carbonaccous elements. These carbon
aceous elements are literally burned IN
the COWS system. just as coal and wood
are in the stove. only more slowly, fol
the purpose Of keeping up the norma
temperature. The question for tn,
dairyman to decide is, whether he vii
keep his cows warm by giving then
warm shelter, or warm them by using
up their vital energy in burning car.
bonaceous materials in their systcms
for keeping up the warmth. instead Of
allowing that vital energy to be ex
pended in celebrating milk or layinf
on Of flesh. Farmer.