Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-10-31
POTATOES FOR LIVE STOCK.
What director Henry of the Agricultural
Experiment SAYS.


Experiment Says
Wisconsin farmers have har-
vested the largest crop of potatoes
ever grown in the state only to find
that the markets are Quilted at exceed
ingly low prices. There has also been
an unusually heavy grain crop har-
vested in most sections, and with
bins overlooking an enormous guam
tity of potatoes will be wasted unless
their feeding value is appreciated and
are intelligently handled.
Mile potatoes are extensively used
in many countries for stock food.
their value for this purpose is little
known aud less appreciated by our
people, because for most years prices
have ruled so high that there has
been more profit in selling than feed
ing. Bitter as is the disappointment
concerning results, the present offers
an opportunity for practical lesson
in the feeding value Of potatoes,
which if rightly practiced. will turn
impending loss into a fair profit
after all.
The writer conducted experiments
few years since to ascertain the val
ne of potatoes for hogs. The pota-
toes were carefully weighed and then
cooked in iron kettles and weighed
amount of corn meal added so as to
make thick pudding or mush.
These experiments showed that 445
pounds of potatoes were equal to 100
pounds of corn meal in Zig feeding.
In other experiments 1 have shown
that corn meal had a somewhat high
er feeding value than barley. This
true, my results show that four
pounds Of potatoes are worth one
pound of barley or rye and almost
the same weight of corn meal for hog
feeding.
Cooked potatoes TO which meal has
been added are excellent feed for fowl.
Besides their nuritive value, pota-
toes are helpful in furnishing a vari-
ETY. of food and keeping animals in a
healthy condition. point always con-
sidered by the prudent stockman.
From what has been said above we
see that when corn is worth forty
cents bushel, potatoes are worth
about ten cents bushel for feeding
purposes.
For horses, sheep and dairy COWS
potatoes can be fed raw. They
should be sliced with a root cutter or
or chopped in box with sharp
spade.
Mich cows may be f. | with advan-
tage as much as twenty-five pounds
of sliced potatoes per day; if great
er weight than this is fed the potatoes
will haN an unfayorable influence on
the quality of the butter produced.
Work horses may be fed ten or
twelve pounds of sliced potatoes per
day; more than this should not be fed
because this food is too .softening. .
Idle horses and breeding stock can
get somewhat larger amount to adj
vantage.
/ Hogs do not thrive on raw potatoes.
The writer has found that in cooking
potatoes for hogs only a little water
should be placed in the kettle so as to
leave the potatoes almost free from
water when the cooking is finished
then by withdrawing the fire the po.
tatoes can be mashed in the kettle
and meal mixed with them. making q
thick mush or pudding.
No state in the union grows better
potatoes than Wisconsin, and our
reputation in this direction is already
established. Unlike wheat. our great
crop of potatoes will all have disap-
peared by July next. They cannot be
carried over to affect next year,
market. The present season is one
of over production because the CROP
has been generally large everywhere
Our farmers should arrange tc
plant reasonable acreage OF potatoes
mex, year and every year. They
shonld know the feeding value Of po-
tatoes and how to feed them. so that
when prices rule low in the future
they are prepared to utilize them tc
the best advantage on their own farms.
In this way the present season may
prove most valuable, lasting lesson.
Eighteen Hundred Million Miles
In Millions great poems of paradise