The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-04-13
SOME SOUND ADVICE.
Why Every Farmer Should Know Exactl
What He Raises.


What He Raises.
An exchange says correctly that it is
important in feeding animals through
winter TO have a full supply, and then
adds: at is very difficult to gauge the
amount of feed that will be necessary
for the stock for any considerable
length of time, and in order to avoid
any risk it is best to keep good sup
ply" This we regard as a mistake
into which many farmers fall, namely,
that of collecting or reserving an in
definite quantity of grain and fodder.
not knowing at all where or when it
will land them when it is all con-
we have recommended for many years,
there is no difficulty in ascertaining
the amount or hand, and in determin-
ing the rate at which animals consume
it, the farmer may arrive at a tolerably
accurate knowledge on these points,
the chief uncertainty being in the
weather, whether mild or severe, or of
short or long continuance; but even
here the careful farmer who under
stands arithmetic, and who by suffi-
cient shelter keeps his animals as COM
Portable in severe as in mild weather,
will find little difficulty.
Take a few examples. BY counting
his loads of hay when drawing in from
the meadow, he may have a fair esti-
mate of how much he has secured.
R,,t hn do
measure the amount in his barn, COM
pute the cubic feet and divide by 500
for compact or pressed timothy, or by
700 if the hay is clover, for the num-
Der of tons he has on hand. Then
weigh the hay he feeds TO his animals
each day for a few days, and he will
easily know how fast they are consum-
ing his supply. Or, if he does not
want to take this trouble, and cares
less for strict accuracy, he may ascer-
animals, and allow about three pounds
of hay daily for each hundred pounds
of animals. This, by little practice,
will enable him to make supply and
demand meet, more accurately than
many actually accomplish. If grain is
largely fed, it will somewhat modify
the result. The supply of other kinds
of food may be determined in a similar
manner Turnips. carrots, or other
roots may be estimated without diff.
Guilty. This will be better and easier
that the attempt to secure feed for
starving horses and cattle by being
thrown out of food in scarce, stormy,
or difficult time in winter.
The grain supply is easily and readily
measured in graduated bins, where the
distinct numbers on the compartments
of the granary just how much they con-
tain at any time. II care is taken for
uniform and regular feeding, the owner
may know at once from the two meas.
urements how long his grain or meal
will last. Corn-cribs may be measured,
and the number OF cubic feet they con-
tain ascertained; and then by multiply
ing the cubic feet by s and dividing the
product by 5, we learn the number of
heaped bushels. Marking the bushels
at different heights will enable any
one to see at "a glance how much there
happens to be on hand.
But computations OF this character
should not stop here. There should he
a correspondence between the amount
of feed raised on the farm, and the
amount needed for the animals to carry
them through. Rigid accuracy is more
difficult here in making estimates in
advance, because the amount is so
much controlled by weather. Farms,
however, in high state of cultivation,
are less affected in their crops by wet
seasons or droughts 1t may be well,
therefore, after the crops are secured
in autumn, to make a second eXamina-
tion, in the manner we have described,
and to act accordingly, either by sell
ing food, purchasing animals, or the
reverse, in order not to have too great
surplus of one or the other for the
best profits. This will be better than
TO do rs some farmers, by selling grain
or feed carly. and then being compelled
to buy again before the spring has
passed. AS nearly universal rule, il
is better to have surplus OF food than
too many animals. because needless
amount OF hay or grain will do no
harm. or may be easily disposed of II
future; but surplus OF animals, re-
quiring the owner TO place them on
short allowance, is Il most unfortunate
policy. Country Gentleman.