Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-09-19
EarH4 xHtrtstts,
Early Feeding.
Cor. Country Gentleman,

There is point in feeding, con-
sideration OF which at this time
would increase materially the profits
of not q few of us who flatter our
selves that we are good farmers. A
railroad trip of above four hundred
miles this week gave me opportunity
to observe several things connected
with farming, and among them the
condition of farm animals. am
safe in saying that two-thirds of the
cows saw are not paying for their
feed and keep; and that of growing
animals, or rather animals of a grow
ing age, two-thirds are making no
gain-in fact, of these two>thirds, at
least one-half are actually losing in
flesh. Now, while in some cases this
condition exists, and in other cases it
is aggravated by drouth unusual
even to this season of the year, and
while my observations were confined
to Western and Southern Illinois,
observations in the past justify me in
saying that practically, throughout
the Union, the condition that | have
Just stated exists at this season in
four years out of five. Quite fire.
quently one sees the young animals
of prosperous farmers standing still,
or even actually losing flesh, in Aus
gust and September; and it is certain
ly flattering testimony in favor of
farming that men can make money
when handling farm animals in this
way. The reader need not be told
that to allow growing animals to
lose flesh, or even to stand still, is
wasteful of profit; this has been so
clearly demonstrated, and the
demonstrations have been so often
published, that there is no need to
argue the point.
The remedy for this waste of profit
is plain enough-it is to begin fall
feeding earlier. In fact fall feeding
should begin early enough to be
termed midsummer feeding. We
entertain the idea that we should
give extra pasture feed only wher
the pastures have almost altogether
failed. The truth is, that we should
begin the outside feeding rs soon as
the pastures have so far failed thai
there is a slackening in the gain O
the animals. The pastures will fai
in quality before they do in quantity
and outside feed should be given be
fore there is an apparent lack 0
quantity of grass. If the reader VIII,
has not heretofore begun extra feed
ing until his animals have made NJ
gain, and perhaps have lost flesh 70
two months, will begin feeding ex
ira at once, he will be so well please,
with the results, if he uses the scale
carefully, although he sacrifices som
of his field corn in order to begi
feeding at this time, that next yea
he will make provision to begin eA
ira feeding at date so early that tn
steady gain of growing animals wi
not be at all checked.
The early feeding may lead to ar
other early feeding, equally as in
portant and profitable. During tn
cold months, by far the greater pal
of farm animals put on the markt
during the year, are got ready fC
market. The stockman has found
certain weight desirable for anima
put on the market. Take, for a
illustration, the hog. The most pro
table hog weighs somewhere near q
pounds gross when thoroughly fla
tened. TO get this weight, the ave
age hog-raiser must feed a spring pi
to near the holidays, or perhaps
little past. The result is rush
swine to market at this time, leadir
often to glut and lower price. b
even though prices were not Lowers
it would be more profitable to G
the hog to market earlier, if Il
proper weight can be got at {
earlier date. December is full
stormy, cold days, in which fatte
ing hogs make very little gain;
fact, some days are so severe tn
quite fat hogs will make no gal
under even the most favorable CO
ditiOns. We usually have a fe
such days in late November. Mar
testify, if for these days we can e
change an equal number of the mi
days Of October, we can ma
cheaper pork. To make this e
change we must begin fattenil
earlier and we can begin fatte
ing earlier by beginning ext
pasture-feeding early. 1t is t
,top1 inCr Gill Dr n actual crO;pO no oly