Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-01
Farm AND ORCHARD.
POISONING cows BY THE POLLUTION
OF THEIR DRINKING WATER.
Economy of Feeding Cut Corn-stalks-
Resting Land-Clover for
Hogs-Farm Notes.

Our attention has been called to the fact
that where cheese factories and creameries
are located near water courses, whey, but
ter-milk and slop drain into the streams,
and the polluted water does much damage
to milk stock that drink it. Recently We
have heard several complaints from dairy
men, who claim to have been damaged in
this way, and one, a farmer of Herkimer
county, n. J., has, we believe, entered suit
against the proprietors of cheese factory
for damages caused, and for an abatement
of the nuisance. While this evil might
only injure the COWS of but one or more
farmers in dairy district, the milk of all
would be injured when the common mix
ture Of acid took place in the manufactur-
ing vat. And with this step taken, the
product would be rendered unhealthy for a
hundred or a thousand consumers. Thus
we perceive the wide dissemination little
evil is capable Of. A tiny stream of filth,
triekling into riyulet which waters a
dairy pasture, the currents so sluggish
that the brook does not readily purify it
self, and COWS thirsty from the heat of
summer drinking at the polluted creek.
The drainage from every factory or every
creamery does not filter into brooks from
which such an evil result might ensue
but there are many cases where, directly
or indirectly, a fragrant or insidious dam
age is perpetrated on both dairyman and
consumer. The patrons Of many factories
utilize only portion of the whey stored
for them in the outside tub. The surplus,
often large in amount, and generally in a
very sour state, is run off, and of course
gravitates into the first natural channel at
hand. Now we say that factory owner
who, knowing that a pasture is near at
hand and that this whey, accompanied by
other offensive drainage from his building,
will find its way into the drinking water
where COWS or other animals are kept, and
permitting the nuisance, ought to be GRIM
inally and financially liable for the result.
We can not be too strong in our censure OF
such clearly criminal negligence.
1t should be kept Just as dry and neat
about cheese factories and creameries as
about dwelling houses. There is no dam
ger in getting the whey tub too far away
from the building, and with one central
drain to carry Stops away you should al
ways have pure, wholesome air to come in
contact with the watts of milk.
But when you are making it wholesome
at the mandatory, do not sicken your pat
rons' cows and poison the milk by turning
your sewage loose on them. To give the
uninfcrmed reader an idea of the effects of
factory sewage on brooks into which it finds
access, ! will cite what | saw last summer
in the vicinity of cheese mandatory.
The factory stood at the head Of a gully,
down which dashed rapid stream. The
factory drain opened into the brook at the
brink of the cascade. The bed Of the tor
rent was of rocky, slaty formation, but
its natural character was hidden by a
loathsome, gray-colored slime, that affected
the bed of the stream for twelve or fifteen
rods from the factory. Forty rods below
the building traces of the offensive sewage
were plainly visible, rising as a viscid
scum on the still pools OF water. In this
instance the brook first flowed through
meadow, then debouched into a larger
stream, before it entered the limits of
COW pasture, three-fourths of mile from
the building. The COWS were not visiblY
affected by drinking the water in this
pasture, which must have become purified
before reaching them. But suppose the
pasture had been located where the mea-
dow and the gully were? Would not the
effect have been just what some dairymen
are nov suing for-damage to their Hocks
and herds? The whey and waste from a
factory will kill every representative of
the vegetable kingdom which 1t comes in
contact with. Grass and trees alike die
when the soil about their roots has become
impregnated with milk carrion.-Prairie
Farmer.
CUT CORN STALKS.
There is an enormous loss of food that
could be utilized ard saved by proper pre-
paration. Professor Henry of Wisconsin,
who has given this matter his attention
and observation. states that by feeding
corn stalks to cows, first cutting the stalks,
saving of to 40 per cent. can be effected.
As corn stalks are considered of but little
value on some farms, the percentage men
toned represents loss of food annually
much greater than can easily be estimated,
and it is loss the farmer can not afford to
bear. The silo enables the farmer to avoid
this loss, but as the silo is not in general
use only portion of the farmers are ben
Gifted by its capacity to store the corn fod-
der. and keep it in condition for stock.
II Is the fodder-cutter that effects the
saving. and even with the use Of the silo
the cutter must be brought into operation.
It is the preparation of the ensilage before
being placed in the silo that renders it
palatable to stock, as much as its succulent
condition, and the farmer who has no silo
can at least perform the necessary labor of
cutting the corn fodder, and thereby assist
ing the stock to more readily eat and digest
il owing TO its finer condition. The labor
of cutting the food is factor in the ex-
pense to be considered, but where there
are a number of COWS to be fed the cutter
should be operated with steam or horse
power, so as TO economic the cost.
As the corn fodder is usually left ex-
posed to the weather, portion OF Its value
is lost. When, by experiment, the farmer
finds that every portion Of the stock will
be eaten if cut and seasoned with grain, he
will give more attention to the period of
cutting the corn and storing it in the barn,
instead of in the fields. The corn for
ensilage is cut at period when the stalk
is rich in feeding elements, and before 1t
is completely dry, which plan may be
adopted by those who grow corn for fodder
under the drilling or listing system. But
even if corn is grown for the grain only,
there is no reason why it should not be cut
before the leaves turn yellow, so as to have
the stalk in the best condition, and if car
ried to the barn, where the ears can be
pulled off as easily as in the field, the
fodder will be in prime condition all win
ter. If there is no room in the barn,
cheap shelter should be arranged for
protecting the fodder from exposure.
When passed through the cutter, little
grain added by sprinkling and small
quantity of salt used to season the mess,
all classes of stock will accept the food,
and that which is usually trampled IN the
harn-rard can be utilized. thereby effect