The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-10-29

and seeing that they are not allowed
10 gorge their stomachs upon dry indi-
geStihle fodder that there VIII be no
danger in allowing cattle to run on
stalk fields. The stalks were made 70
be eaten and the farmer can not afford
TO let them go unused The question
then arises: can they be fed with per-
feet safety? Some aliege that during
a dry year like We had a portion of last
summer that the stalk becomes covered
w5th a dry black must. and if this IS
taken in the stomach that death viii re-
suit. l can not accept this theory in
full. There is no doubt but what these
dry bulges absorb the gastric juice OF
the stomach, but can not think If cat
tie are wel and properly wateTei that
there is really any danger from feeding
stalks. But here comes a man who has
probably had more experience than any
other man IN running both cattle and
sheep on stalk fields"
Ed. WiggleEworth-''Yes / have kept
from 200 TO 1000 cattle on stalk fields
each year. Last winter 1 kept 5000
sheep on stalks and came through with
out losing any. i am feeding this year
/ 300 sheep and al know that sheep are
mu5h more subject TO dry murTian than
catsle. During all my experience with
both cattle and sheep / have never lost
but one steer. / opened his stomach
and found in there bunch of cookie
b1rs that flad failed to digest. You will
always notice that 1 always buy my
stalk fields where can have my corrau
either on the river or on a creek.
must have living, running water where
cattle can get at il. In every instance
where there has been death from cat
tie running on stalks You viii find thai
11.,r7
or else they have depended upon water
ing them from a water tank. If you
viii go and see the herd from which
these cattle died you will find in every
case il was not one OF the bosses of the
herd, but was one that has been whip
ped away from the trough before il has
had sufficient water 10 start the dry
food in the stomach to digest. Now
with sheep this is different, and you
can not depend on them going TO a
stream for water. The first thing / do
when 1 rent a stalk field is 10 put in
a pump. i then have plenty of tsOughs
and l keep these full of water all the
time With both my cattle and sheep
i always keep plenty Of salt before them
Let them have salt and they will take
water. If they take water and salt
there will be no danger of stock run
ming on corn stalks. 1t is simply neg
lect that causes death from cattle and
eheep eat ting corn stalks. l am surpris-
ed that Frank Means should lose cattle
from this cause, the other two men l
do not call TO mind. but then 1 Will ven
tlMe this assertion and that is that
Frank Means either did not c0rral his
cattle or that he depended upon water
ing them from tanks and the cattle were
not properly watered. Stock should
never be turned upon dry stalk field
until after they have drank. If they
fail to drink keep them off until they
do and when they are brought IN at
night give them more water. 1t is
law of nature that dry feed requires
plenty of water and if the water is not
furnished fever Will set in and death
VIII come to the relief of the dumb
brute. l remember a few years ago
thath Harvey Grace lost cattle from
running on stalk fields and we talked
this subject over and he has tried my
plan since-plenty OF salt and water"