The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-02-22
FARM AND GARDEN.
BRAN FOR HORSES.
Its Value as Ration Decentralization

Its Value Ration Discussed-ShouId
he More Generally Used.
Since the authorities differ among
themselves, it is fair to assume that
while first-class horses for any purpose
may be reared and maintained without
bran, this feed in the hands of others
may form part of the ration and pro-
duce equally good results. Without
any doubt, oats are the best single grain
feed we have for horses, though but few
will insist that because they are the
best no other kind of grain or concen-
trated food should be fed. Variety of
feed is important to the highest success
with any kind of animals, and bran
lengthens the list of available feeding
Btuffs 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 elements. A hundred pounds
IF oats contain about 95 pounds of d.
Eestible matchmaking food, while one
hundred pounds of bran contain about
1875 pounds. Again, if we were to burn
one hundred pounds of shelled corn
there would remain one and one-half
pounds of ashes; from one hundred
pounds of oats there would remain three
pounds OF ashes, while the same weight
Of wheat bran would give over five and
RSas-half pounds of ashes. 1t is the ash
of our foods that builds up the bony
framework.
We read in history that at one time
sugar was used as medicine; now it is
a common food article, containing much
nutrition in a concentrated form. In
this country many people use sweet
(olive) oil as medicine, while mill
ions Of people in Europe use it for food.
Formerly butter was used in the same
way. as medicine. Most all horse man
ayers use an occasional ''bran mash" as
a corrective, and consider it very valu-
able. Many of these same individuals
could enlarge the use of bran in the
stable until it should become a common
food article, just as sugar and butter
have grown common with our people.
Furthermore, animals can be made to
grow and fattcn upon bran.
A few years ago this experiment was
SUCCESSFULLY Jflcu III hanSaS WIN steers.
Prof. Shelton, of the Kansas Expert
ment Station, fed grown hogs wholly
upon bran and shorts, and they made
nearly as good gain as upon corn. At
this station wisconsin, We now have a
lot of growing hogs which nave made a
pound of gain from four and one-half
pounds OF bran and shorts, while anoth-
or lot. under the same conditions, have
not done quite so well on corn meal.
Our dairy farmers have come to appre-
ciate bran very highly. Jefferson
County, in this State, is largely occu-
pied by German dairy farmers a thrifty
and progressive class of people. At
three railroad stations in that county
two years ago there were unloaded four
hundred ctr-iodds Of bran, as / am in
formed by our Governor Hoard, a resi-
dent of that county. 1t would be hard,
think. to convince these farmers that
they had been buying something no
better than sawdust.'
think there is evidence enough. both
on the scientific and practical side, to
show that, intelligently used, bran is a
very valuable food article for almost
any kind of live stock.-Prof. w. A.
Henry, in Breeders Gazette.