St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-01-07
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.


Owing to our comparatively mild
winter climate the Southern farmer
is apt TO neglect wholesome precau.
tons against severe weather. In fact
1t il shameful how little thought or
care 10 given on many farms to the
comfort OF tho dumb and helpless ami.
mails who toll for NJ The year round.
and aro content with their waxes
! rations and shelter. Aside from mora
and humane considerations Il n =
question of dollars and cents that no
farmer can afford to ignore. There
are many farmers who are generous to
a fault in feeding; they lill mn the
feed-troughs and hay-racks with corn
and oats and fodder three times
day. But tho shelter pro-
vided Is often Of the most
primitive and inadequate kind, and
shame to say. sometimes no bet
ter than the lee-side OF corn-crib or a
fencc-corneE It should DO remem.
bercd that the food ing. sted BY horse,
COW or other animal serves two dis
tinct purposes in the animal ECONOMY:
]. To keep up the heat Of the body to
the point below which the vital pro-
cesses can not be carried on and life
continue. This temperature 1854
dcgrees) must be maintained con.
stantlv in the very coolest rs we'll as
in mild weather. The natural means
of maintaining this animal heat is. by
burning a portion OF the food as 1t
passes through the lungs in tho form of
blood. The colder the weather-other
things 0eing the samc-thc greater
will be the proportion Of tho food that
is taken into the stomach that must
be used As fuel. and Of course the
proportion that can be utilized
for repairing waste tissues and stored
up rs fat must b lessened. But IL re-
sort Is had to mechanical means 70
keep out tho cold-to keep in the heat
"A very great saving Of food is &C
while at tho same time
the animals arc stronger for labor or
fatter for the butcher. In our own
domestic arrangements We obey this
principle without much attention to
The philosophy oft. We provide thick
wallis tight windows and doors stop
ping the cracks with care, and warm
beds to sleep on-thus saving the con.
sumption Of a much larger amount of
[ucl. and adding greatly to the per-
'onal comfort and happiness and
the health of the
members Of our family. Nails lumber
Ind boards are much cheaper con.
'ervstors Of animal warmth and pro- ,
nOters Of thrift and fattening than
Extra allowances of food. But why !
on this subject? Is there .
farmer in all this broad land who
locs not know that it il more profit i.
lble. more humane. more Christian.
ike. to make his livestock comfort :
bile than to compel them to stand /,
hivering in the fence corncrs, or at +.
est in open sheds or pole-made sta ="
les with cracks 50 large that q dog :
hight easily jump through =
1t will be remembered in this con. =
ection that we have often stressed :,
ne importance Of getting tho porkcrs =
ITO a condition for tho knife before
nc cold weather has set in for the II
inter: Hogs should now be noarly n
+ quite ready to kill and advantage ;,
'ould be taken Of the first cold spell /,
lc latter part q this month to com. =
renee operations Christmas should
nd them all in the smokc-house and
le INST killings on tho sticks. The
st and cheapest bacon is that made
ON hogs we'll fattencd and butcher 3
in December or earlier. Southern p
glkiudeor. d.