The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-06-05

be cut while the seed is in the milk"
stage, after that time the stalks be-
come hari and lose much of their
value as feed, andif thick OF no value
at all, unless subjected to laborious
and expensive system Of chopping
and steamiug. If possible cut just
before the seed begins to ripen and
rich and attractive fodder will be the
result if it is properly handled alter
wards.
SMALL MARES.
have always contended that there
was no more danger in breeding
small mare to heavy draft horse
than to one near her own build and
weight. The size OF the colt at birth
is regulated mainly by the maternal
capacity OF the mare. Cases do &C.
cur where the mare is incapable of
producing live colt, but that is gem
orally due to defective or contracted
pelvic structure and not to abnormal
size Of fetus.
This is disputed by many practical
horsemen, but the Western Agricult-
urist, which is good authority of
such subjects, takes my view of the
question. 1t says:
Breeding small mares to imported
draft stations is still a matter of con-
troversy in some new sections where
the draft stations are just being in
troduced, and we have received an I'M
usual number of inquiries from Ken
lucky, and the South and Southwest.
The experience of thousands of breed
ers throughout the Eastern and West
ern States is that there is no more
danger to the mare in foaling from
these large stations than from the
small ones. We often see an 800
pound mare bred to If00-pound
stallion that raises a colt making
l3OO-pound horse"
VARIETY IN FEED.
Variety is the spi of life and va
riety in feed is essential to the best
development of both the brute and
human animal. Writing on this SUBJ
ject Prof. Henry says: Variety in feed
is important to the highest success
with any kind of animals, and bran
lengthens the available feeding stuffs
by just so much. Chemically bran is
very rich in just what horses need to
build and maintain the highest form
of bone and muscle, since it is rich in
both muscle and bone producing ele-
ments. One hundred pounds of cats
contain about 9.5 pounds Of digesti-
BILE matchmaking food, while 100
pounds of bran contains 12.5 pounds.
Again, if we burn 100 pounds of
shelled corn there would remain one
and half pounds OF ashes; from 100
pounds of oats there would remain
three pounds OF ashes, while the same
weight of wheat bran would give over
five and half pounds OF ashes. 1t is
the ashes of our food that build the
bony framework.
RECIPE FOR A VICIOUS HORSE.
Patience, gentleness, firmness and
petting, one pound each. Mix thor
oughly with pne-half pint of common
sense and g to the horse every day.
TIKI PROFITABLE HOG.
The kind OF hogs that require three
| to four years to mature and in that
time attain an enormous size and
weight are going out OF fashion. We,
do not see so many extra heavy
weights reported in the local papers as
we used to. Instead, the laudable am
bition Of most farmers is to get pigs
that at eight or nine months old will
give pound OF pork for every day of
the animals life. To do this requires
good feeding, not alternate starving
and surfeiting with corn. 1t is the
pork made by continuous growth at
all times that is most pslatable and is
most in demand in the market.
TEXAS BLUE GRASS.
Texas blue grass is relative of the
Kentucky blue grass, and is indigen-
GUS to all the southwest, especially
the prairie country between the Trim
ity and Brazos rivers in Texas. 1t is
well adapted to Kansas and ripens it's
seed in about fifteen days thereafter.
Stock OF all kinds, even poultry, pre-
fer it to almost any other food OF like
nature. Being larger than Kentucky
blue grass, it affords more grazing. 1t
is Of rapid growth and the coolest
winters do not effect it. Though
seeming to lie down during the ex-
treme heat of summer, it springs up
with the first rains of autumn and
grows luxuriantly, being soon ready to
pasture and also afi'ording choice graz
ing for the winter months.-Orange
Judd Farmer.