The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-09-01
Why this Growth 2


growth that the young cattle and colts
make from May until midsummer. He
turns out lot of young steers and
finds that in a month or six weeks he
would scarcely know them, unless they |
are branded or have some special mark.
He has no difficulty in knowing them |
in the winter time, even if he should |
not see them for a month. Why this |
growth? 1t is easy to see that they |
have good grass, plenty of it, salt and |
water, and there are no flies to torment |
and the weather is seasonable. Never
theless, why is it that grass alone
makes such an astonishing growth in
cattle? There are two reasons apart
from all bad weather and flies. One is
that the cattle are fed balanced ration.
Nature provides in mixed pasture of
young grass as nearly perfect balance
for growing stock as the skill of the
chemist can make, and this is the model
for all feeding rations for mich cows
and for young and growing stock of all
kinds. When the farmer intends to
fatten his cattle, put on thick fat, he
adds corn, because this grass is not a
balanced ration for the fattening steer.
1t does not have sufficient carbohydrates
and the gathering of it involves little
more exercise than the animal that is
being finished for market requires.
The second reason is that this feed
is given in o succulent state. Dry feed
and water do fairly well, but feed with
the natural water content of green
grass does better. Nature mixes the
water with the feed in way that no
art of man can equal. Hay and water
have about the same relation to green
grass that dried apples have to the fully
ripe juicy apple. Canned fruit is the
next best thing to fresh fruit, and here
again man initiates nature by using en-
silage, which is simply canned corn
and fodder, during the winter season.
Drainage Journal.
Now let US take the foregoing excel
lent statement of fact and apply it to
the production of milk. Every farmer
knows that the green, succulent grass
produces milk most abundantly, just as
it produces flesh and growth. The
great secret OF it is that the grass is in
juicy, succulent state. 1t is easily and
quickly digested. Its mechanical con-
dtion is perfect for the best possible re-
suit in milk.
Now, how we'll does the farmer keep
this lesson in mind when he comes to
cut his hay? He knows that dry, hard,
woody stalks of grass will not produce
milk like the same stalk in its juicy
stage. If he knows this, and wants
his cows to give milk abundantly in the
winter time, why doesn't he cut his
hay when it has the most milk power
in it? Why doesn't he keep this prin-
ciple in mind when he cuts his corn?
He knows that the fodder will be worth
great deal more to his cows if the
corn is cut early, and the ear left to fill
out and ripen in the stock. The utter
failure with 30 many to carry what they
know about grass into what they do
with hay and corn fodder, has filed us
with wonder for years. AS much, if
not more, right practice in this direc.
ton is had in the vicinity Of Fort At
kinson as in any other section we know
of. The farmers in this vicinity have
had more dairy education than almost
any other dairy community in the ma.
ton. But with all this, it is hard tC
find on our hay market one load OF hay
in fifty that is cut green enough fol
profitable milk feeding. Farmers ex'
cuse themselves on this point by say
ing the ripper hay will 60 farther. THAT
is true, and 80 would straw and coarse
!. marsh grass. The poorer the hay the
= longer it will last. Do we want time
or do we want milk?
All there is to the science of agricul.
ture is to study out the laws of nature
and apply them in our practice. A
great many men carry a lot of erro
neous notions about farming in theil
heads, and honestly think all the while
that thew are true to nature
A COW weighing 1000 pounds will
crop about so pounds Of short, succu
lent grass in "a hours; 60 pounds Of
this is water or juice. On this ration
she will exercise vigorously in travel
ing about, and give more milk and but
ter than if fed 30 pounds of ordinary
hay and pounds of grain. Can we at
ford to make such expensive "go far.
Their" hay?
We waste good deal more than we
save by such adherence to false no
tons. Can we afford to punish our
selves, as many of us are doing, by
farming with false ideas? Can we af-
ford to go along year after year and
pay such tremendous taxes to our folly
because we have not enterprise enough
to learn better? May be it will cost us q
little money and time to read up on this
question and study out the truth. What
of it? Are we not paying fifty dollars
for our lack of knowledge where We
spend one for wisdom?
This is one of a lot of such wastes
and leaks with intelligence and study
would correct. An old German once
said to us: "Ven der hay is too old il
last longer and der cows waste more
and it make not much milk, Ven der
hay is young, den der cows eat it all,
r waste none, and make blenty more
milk Der young is der best. "-Hoard's