Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-09-06
FOOD FOR STOCK.
me Methods of Preparation Now in Us
Their ADVANTAGES and DisaIva nfa1es

uiOo Win IN the variations In the ami
mails, methods, materials, and the cir
cumstances of each case. Whether
grain food is best given whole, ground
or cooked is question that is impor-
tant In several ways, and has been in
consequence very much studied and
tested and made the subject of a great
many experiments. But so far, not
wlthstanding all that has been done in
this direction, we can not say with any
certainty which of the three methods
OF feeding grain to any kind of farm
animals is the best, and still expert
ments are being made and the usual
contradictory reports are published.
All this is derogatory to scientific re-
search and weakens the public
faith in scientific experiments.
This is a very unfortunate result,
because the value of such research
into the mysteries of agricultural prac-
tice is not to be doubted, and in the
end it is only by such Investigations
we can hope to reach the final truth,
which, as said by the old adage, seems
to lie at the bottom of a very deep
WELL
The experiments made in the use of
whole grain and long fodder, however,
seem to be conclusive that this prac-
tice is wasteful. Practically, for the
| sake of economy. horses are almost
universally fed upon cut hay and
straw and ground grain, where cheap
ness OF feeding is an item of prime
consideration. And as far as this kind
of livestock is concerned. it may be
accepted as the final conclusion that
this kind of feeding is better for the
animals and saves from one-fOurth to
one-third of the cost of feeding.
For feeding cows and beeves it is al
so well proved that the use of ground
grain and cut fodder is economical
in about the same degree as it is
for horses. But the question of part
ly cooking the food or of ma
water is still in allegiance, although it
has been tried with good results by
many farmers. In nearly every case
| the practice has been abandoned, not
| withstanding those who have tried it
have expressed much satisfaction with
| the results. We have ourselves made
an extended trial of it through two
winters feeding. but, after all, gave it
up because of the bother of it, which
was not paid for by the profit. 1t was
| a case in which circumstances were
| against it, rather than that the practice
! was not in itself desirable. So that for
| feeding all kinds of cattle, it may be
taken as practically settled that ground
| grain is better than whole grain, and
except for the final finishing of fat
beeves, cut fodder mixed with the meal
is the most profitable feeding. Even
for Western beeves it has been found
| that ground grain with bran and oil
meals is more proftably fed than
whole grain, although the trough
ness is more cheaply fed in its
natural condition. The old practice
| of feeding beeves in the corn
fields, following them with swine, is
unquestiOnably bad one, as being OPP
| posed to all sanitary rules, especially
| for the hogs, while the losses of cattle
from various diseases due to indiges-
ton, mal-nutritiOn, or fungus poison
ing, as black quarter (bloody MUIR
rain). splenic fever, ergotism and
| (dry murrain) are too serious to be
borne in a business in which profits
are slender and by no means certain.
AS regards sheep, no expert has yet
advocated the cutting or preparing of
| food in any way. These animals do
their own cutting and grinding better
and cheaper than it can be done for
them, and they thrive better, as the
digestion is more healthful when fed
Upon long fodder and whole grain.
| Swine, on the contrary, seem to be
naturally disposed to food that has
been as perfectly prepared for diges-
ton as is possible. The hog is pro-
fuse eater, and has a small stomach;
it's digestive powers are very large,
and as it is required to make
the most increase of weight from the
least food, the food should be made as
palatable and digestible as possible.
1t is unquestionable that cooked food,
especially that containing much starch,
is mere digestible than the same food
in a raw state. Corn and potatoes are
made more digestible by cooking, be-
cause the starch cells are broken and
the starch changed in character and
made more soluble. For swine the
cooking is, theoretically, equivalent to
partial digestion, for the action of the
moist heat has some of the chemical
effects of the saliva secreted and mixed
with the food during the process of
mastication. Consequently it might
be justly considered that the full prep
aration of the grain or roots given to
swine would be the cheapest
method of feeding. A recent trial
by DIR. A. G. Chase, of
Kansas, a fully-competent expert
menter, has brought up this whole
question for reconsideration and a
critical review of the evidence on rec
ord. DIR. Chase fed some half-bred
Berkshire pigs Gan excellent kind for
such a trialo upon corn in various con-
1itions with the following results:
Gain in Pork
Corn.fed- Posnds.
10 bushels new ears ...........2a
4 bushels, whole corn (oid9 -. .......-4s
/ bushels, ground less toll and wet with
bushels. ground and cooked. 49,. ........ss.s
The ground corn had the miller's
toll taken out When the previous
evidence is carefully studied it is
found that wherever a trial has been