Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-03-28
FARM and HOME.


True economy consists not SO much
in saving the feeding material as in
utilizing that which often is wasted.
Each particular breed of animals is
capable of assisting to appropriate
that which is often discarded or over
looked as valueness, and the lack of
preparation of the various foods often
deprives farmers of the use Of valuable
material One of the best food for
horses is corn fodder, but it should be
harvested, cured and fed in different
manner from that usually practiced.
There are several methods pursued by
economical farmers in feeding corn
fodder, and even the stalks, to horses.
The first is to collect from the stalks,
while they stand in the field,
about the time the grain is
ripe, the blades, which are
tied in small bundles and allowed to
cure on the standing stalks. Such fod-
der never becomes dusty, and is regard
ed as excellent food for horses afflicted
with heaves. The race horses were in
times past allowed no other kind of
bulky food, owing to its clean condition
and nourishing qualities. When the
whole stalks, leaves included, are fine
ly cut, crushed, moistened and made
palitable with ground grain, which is
mixed with the cut food, it makes suit
,l1 NIT ha tp IF
ing hay with it. Oats, when cut in the
milky state, may be fed to horses with
out thrashing out the grain, as the
straw and grain combined is highly
relished, there being more nourishment
in the straw when it is cut with the
grain in the milky condition.
For the COW there are many kind Of
food that may be prepared from that
which is wasted. Wheat straw may be
cut into short lengths and mixed with
other material to advantage. In fact,
any kind of bulky material is accepted
by the COW when it is seasoned with
other food of a concentrated character.
The sheep finds plenty of work col
lecting subsistence from weeds and
grasses that are of no value, and the
hog is especially fond OF purslane,
plaintain and some of the rank growing
weeds. Any plant that grows out Of
its allotted place is a weed, but it may
be said that weeds may at times be
considered valuable crops when they
can be proftably utilized. There
is not an animal on any farm that will
not assist in converting useless matter
into salable or serviceable material.
The principle point to be observed in
feeding all the material on a farm
is to properly prepare it. If this is
done the good and the inferior
may be made to prove jointly
moro lcmuncrativo than if the best be
used exclusively. Even clover and
timothy hay, which is considered the
most bulky food for stock may be still
further improved by proper prcpara-
ton. Roots, which are absolutely in
dispensible to thrift, can be increased
in value for feeding by preparation,
and there is no crop grown that should
have any portion wasted. The annual
loss from tramping by the feet of ami
mails is very large, and this is occa-
stoned by not cutting it up finely. 1t
does not pay to utilize inferior material
for manure as long as it can be pas sed
through the body of the animal, where
it may not only assist in adding nour-
ishmcnt but also become the subject to
disintegration by the action of the di-
gestiye organs. Economy moro than
rcpays the cost, and adds largely to the
profits, not only from the crops but the
stock also. practical Farmer.