The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-09-27
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
Winter Feeling.

! AHcduy MANY FARMERS, especially IN the
West, are disposiug of their stock at sacrifice
sales in order to get rid of feeding them.
| Probably this Winter will bring prom
inentiy to the front the question Of econom-
lcal cattle feeding as never before.
COrnstalks can be relied on when properly
ground with minimum of soft grain mixed
| with them, and the nutritive value will be
equal to great deal Of the poor grain that
| some farmers give to their stock regularly.
| While the stalks may not have a great
amount of nutriment in them, they do,
when fed with grain in ground state, fur
nlSh fiesh-iormlng material that cannot ba
| equalled by any other feed of the same cost.
In parts of the corn belt, where feed will be
high, stalks may be purchased at a mere
song, often for the labor Of cartiug them of
the field, and with good economy animals
could be wintsred on them without much
| other expenditure for feed. With animals
/ purchased at sacrifice sale an enterprisine
/ farmer may see his way to make money next
| Spring. There will undoubtedly be great
reduction IN stock by Spring, and if business
revives this Winter, as one may reasonably
expect, corresponding increase in the de-
mand for good meat will follow With
| depleted stoek-yards the farmers who sold
most of their animals this Fall will not be
able to take advantage of the high prices.
but will find themselves placed IN the con.
| dition of being purchasers rather than sell
lers of stock. There was never depressed
condition of the farming industry without
Its corresponding lesson to be learned.
Pastures have turned out pretty poorly,
but the hay crop is more than a fair one,
and with extra demand for this feed prices
| cannot be expected to decline much. The
whole hay crop will be needed TO take the
place of grain that is generally given to
stock. Good hay is almost a complete feed
of itself for animals that are not being
worked much, and it should be made a
point to secure only the finest quality.
There is such difference in the quality of
hay that one may be starving his cattle off
liberal supplies, while another may be max
ing them strong and healthy off a smaller
bulk. Ground hay, likewise mixed with
some fine grain or meal, gives all of the
feeding value that animals require, especially
if this can be supplemented by few roots
occasionally.
The question of raising fodder enough to
winter the animals will become more seri-
Gus as the months slip by and the prices for
it naturally increase. Brewers grains may
yet be purchased at prices consistent with
the value of all other hard-time e0mmodi-
ties. CottOn-seed meal is also reasonable
enough to warrant one in making purchases
against the time when the value will in
crease. There will probably be more gen.
eral demand for both of these feeds in view
of the small quantity of feed in the country.
1t might be well to consider the Winter feed
question early this season if many animals
are to be Experimentation Telegraph.
Experimenting with Chickens.
The Experiment Station at Calhoun, Ala,
has been making some tests of egg-producers
and general-purpose fowls. Here are the
results:
The Plymouth Rocks have led, followed
closely by Brown LegherD, Hamburg Hou-
dan-Minorea, and Langshan. Previous to
this year the Leghorns have made the best
record for egg production for three success
sive years. The Plymouth Rocks, however,
had the advantage OF the run of the place.
1t Is impossible to maintain purity of the
breeds without close confinement, and yet
such confinement is very prejudieial to
health and egg-production. The European
breeds are all great Spring and Summer lay
ers, are small, and nOn-sitters. 1t is pretty
well established that the LeghOruS are the
best egg-produceTs of all the breeds.
The Asiatics are generally good Winter
and early Spring layers, and make excellent
mothers, and are good table fowls
The LangshanS stand at the head of the
list, and are regarded rs one of the best gen.
eral-purpOse fowls.
The Plymouth Rocks are also good Winter
and Spring layers, and make excellent
mothers; they are hardy, Of quick growth.
and good table fowls.
OF the breeds mentioned, the Langshan
and Plymouth Rock are considered the best
fowls; the Leghorns or
h. -
are the conclusions reached after several
years. experience, the hens being confined
during the time in small pens and fed only
on vegetable products raised on the farm.
Were wide range possible for them the re-
suits might be different.
Feeding of Exhibition Animals.
Mr.. Robert Miller, the veteran Canadian
breeder. writes on this subject in the
Breeders Gtlzette as follows:
We have been showing horses, cattle, and
sheep without intermission for over half
century, and we have long ago decided that
the most important and most difficult partd
is to show the animals in proper condition
to compare with others shown, and to suit
the Judges without impairing their useful
ness as breeders. In Canada we have a
greater variety of feed than the United
States affords; in Britain they have still
greater variety. The effects of this may be-
seen in the condition of the animals ex-
hibited in the different show-yards.
In Britain the cattle are full of flesh with
q full coat of soft hair and melloHness in
both that suggests plenty of blood and juIei-
ness beneath, with health and viger, instead
of the fever and stiffness so often present in
show cattle. In Canada we have the same
but not in such marked degree.
The hair does not show quite so well, and
we account for this in the difference in eli
mate and the advantage in favor of Britain
by their being able to expose their animals
more in Winter and Summer to the natural
elements. The cattle here have the same
mellow handling qualities, but they are not
80 well prepared or so full of flesh. This IS
surely an advantage that the Canadian
breeders should not make light of.
In the United States the variety of feed il
more limited, and unfortunately for the ami
mails and their owners the kinds that are
lacking are the kinds that Can be spared at
he greatest disadvantage. Corn, oats, OIL
AXE, bran and other concentrated foods are
% be had in all parts, and they are fed all
,ver the country and at all times OF the year.
Show cattle even when young begin to show
tendency to get hard and roll their fesh,
md by the time that the females are old
enough to be breeding, they are so hard and
10 filed up inside with flesh that they are
,ften with the greatest difficulty got to-
produce one or two calves that are seldom