Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-04

There is quite a boom in sheep feeding,
especially in Texas, and more will be fed,
it is thought by the Farm and Stock
journal, than in four or five former years
continuation example, 10, 900 at Dublin,
5000 at Waco, and considerable numbers
at many minor points. The abundance of
feeding materials affords the opportunity;
and an induoement is presented in the
high price Of beef and the low price of
sheep. Southern people are just begin
ming to realize the advantage, which they
have in the protein of cottonsecd for sup
plementing the starch in corn, remarks
the Country Gentleman. Another equally
valuable feeding combination is corn and
COW peas in view Of the fact that a har-
rowing in of the seed is about the only
expense of growing the latter in fields of
matured corn. AS it is country IN
which many kinds of forage can be grown
in the winter months, all the year round
outdoor feeding is practicable.
Texas cattle feeders say that cottonseed
meal at s12 per ton is equal to corn at
&c to 1Sc per bushel, fattening much
faster than corn. They claim that no
better ration exists for quick fattenng
and hard finishing than cracked corn and
cottonseed meal Cattle will go into feed
lots Is to 20 days earlier than usual this
year.
The tenth annual report Of the Wiscon-
sin experiment station gives summary
of experiments In tho use of bone meal
and ashes on the economy of pig feeding.
Some of the old readers of this paper will
remember that the experiments made at
the New Hampshire college farm some
fourteen years ago showed that the use of
bone meal would at once restore hogs to
their feet that were unable to use their
legs, remarks the Mirror and Farmer.
1t showed that corn meal did not contain
one tenth of the lime that should go into
the bones of the pig. During the past
season by the use Of bone meal we have
been able to restore hogs within a few
days to perfect health that We're in a bad
condition. These experiments of Prof.
Henry's show that hogs fed on bone meal
had breaking strength in their thigh
bone Of $50 pounds, while those receiving
no bone meal had breaking strength of
only 4f2 pounds, and that those receiving
bone meal gained 246 pounds and required
but 454 pounds of corn meal for 100
pounds of growth while those not receiv
ing bone meal gained but $50 pounds and
required 57i pounds of corn meal for 100
pounds of growth These figures are of
| intense interest and of paramount import
ance TO feeders, especially to those feeding
| largely of corn meal. 1t seems that the
presence of a suflioiency of lime is essential
not only to the processes Of nutrition, the
assimilation and possibly the digestion of
other foods given. The saving of so
pounds of meal for 100 pounds Of growth
may be the difference between profit and
loss. In any event, it forms q wide mar
gin in the balance sheet of swine feeding.
1t is difficult in the light of such figures,
to understand how any swine feeder can
permit himself to continue feeding swine
without the use of some source of lime
But bone meal Is not the only nor the
cheapest source of lime Wood ashes is
largely made up of lime and answers as
substitute for bone meal