The National tribune., 1895-12-05
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers


about lI6 per cent. of digestible matter,
while grain feeds average rs follows: Corn,
% per cent; wheat, 100 per cent; barley
I6.S per cent; rye, - per cent. oats, 50 per
cent; wheat bran, 500, etc. These figures
prove the correctness of the estimate that
four pounds of potatoes give gain equal to
one pound Of grain. But while potatoes are
not likely to displace grain as a stock feed.
they may supplement- it to advantage. par
ticularly in those localities where the crop
is very abundant and the prices correspond
Ingly low These tubers viii supply the
! sUccu!ent food so desirable for all stock dur
! ing the long Winter months when the sys-
tenn is craving some relief from the everlast-
| ing dry feed. The best results are obtained
| from cooked potatoes. The method of pro-
ceedng is 70 place them in barrel. pour on
/ boiling water and cover When well
steamed mix with meal, straw or hay chaff.
salt slightly and leave for 2f hours to fer
ment slightly before using ii. This forms a
/ good feed Tor cattle, sheep and swine; milch
/ cows give better returns from sliced raw po-
| tatoss. This ~ an excellent way of dispos-
| ing Of all small and unsaleable tubers.
! Food for Poultry
/ Milk is one of the best food that can be
| given to fowls. In one sense il is the verv
| best, rs it IS a complete food; but its great
bulk is against IT. for it would be impossible
| for poultry 10 drink enough milk alone to
satisfy their appetite. IL must, therefore. be
used in connection with other food While
| sweet whole milk is TO he preferred
| sour and skinned milk are also valuable.
/ The objection TO milk as a substitute for
meat IS its undue proportion of water. 1t is
calculated that it will require seven pounds
| OF SKINNED milk to equal one pound Of lean
meat for fesh-fOrming qualities
| Some poultry raissr5 never feed meat,
| claiming that its use is unnatural and un-
| necessary. They overlook the fact that it
| IS but a substitute for the insects from which
the poultry are debarred by confinement.
| The practice OF feeding upon them proves
cOnclusively the craving for animal food,
the elements of which enter into the COM
position of eggs. The practice of feeding
green bone has now become nearly universal.
Its merits are generally acknowledged. but
they are enhanced by the PARTICLES of meat
adhering to the hone The two combine the
elements of the complete chick
Vegetables and green food of all kinds will
assist greatly in keeping the fowls in good
condition during the Winter. All the small
potatoes should be boiled and given to the
hens, who will gTeedily pick them to pieces.
The same is true of turnips. Parings of all
kinds of vegetables will be readily eaten.
Poor, wOrm-eaten apples will give a zest to
their appetites, and a cabbage hung where
they may peck at it will also serve the same
purpose. Pumpkins are also appreciated.
Clover hay or cornfodder cut to half-inch
lengths, scalded and spriDkled slightly with
eornmeal supplies very good and ecOnomi-
cal ration. Peas and beans cooked and thick
ened with b an are excellent for laying hens;
so is sweet ensilage. BeetS and carrots form
splendid Winter relish, while onions are
popular and exceedingly healthful. If fed
in moderation there is not the slightest fear
that the last will affect the flavor of the
eggs.
The great value of all these vegetable foods
lies not merely in their power to tempt the
appetite, but IN their supplying the bulk
necessary to thrift and egg production; in
mere nutrllVe qualities most of them are
inferior to the grain which they should sup
plement, not displace Variety, too. is an
important feature which should also be con,
sidered in supplying the grain, for mixture
of corn, oats, wheat, buckwheat, and barley
will be found to give better results than
where one grain alone is used.
Grass a Food for Hogs.
The Utah Experiment Station has issued
q bulletin which treats of the economical
use of grain when fed alone, or when fed
with green grass, and also of the economy
Of raising hogs on grass alone. Further
more, the relation of exercise to the eeonomi-
cal use of food is treated of. For the ex-
pertinent, 10 head of pigs were used, heing
put into five sets of three each. This divis-
ion was made so that the sets would be az
near the same weight as possible.
Set was fed grain in yard about four
rods by six.
Set was fed grain and grass in a yard
similar to that in which set / was fed.
Set was fed grain in a movable pen,
I2xI6 feet, in a pasture containing mixture
If eight grasses
Set was fed grain and allowed to run
Oose IN the same pasture as set 3.
oet was fed no grain, but allowed to run
oose IN pasture with set f.
Inc conclusions arrived at by the experi-
nenters were:
Pigs allowed to roam at will over 19 acres
4 good pasture, and fed all the grain they
Vould eat, made the most rapid growth.
nd apparently made the best use of food.
Pigs fed grass and grain in a small ward
lade more rapid growth than those fed grain
lone, and apparently made slightly better.
Sc of the food eaten.
In the cases of and 2 there was an in
N"'~ VI A'"d OVhouLuSu, apparently SuI-
ent to account for the more rapid growth
nd more economical use of food.
Green grass appears to be of greatest value
) an appetizer.
Pigs kept grass alone made a slow
rowth-sO slow that it would require two
'asons for maturity-making the profits
doubtful.
Pigs kept in a movable pen on pasture.
e within seven pounds as much grain as
d those in a yard without grass, but did
)t make as good use of it,
Exercise seems to be necessary to increase
assumption and probable digestion, that
owth may be rapid and economical.
TOp-DresSing for Barren KnoIIs.
1t usually happens that the failure in
ass and clOver-seeding in field is on the
evated parts, which are generally the dri-
t. T0p-dIessing these with stable manure
i'll often insure q catch. If the land is
ndy or grsvelly, an addition of potash
ay be needed with the manure to insure
Owth of clover. There is much less wash
8 of manure thus used as top-dressing
an there would be of the soil if the manure
ere not used. Rains fall on the manure,
eping the soil beneath loose and friable,
that the water sinks into it. If they fall
bare soil they harden the surface so that
ore water washes down the hill, forming
llies and carrying away part of the sur
% soil