Middletown transcript., 1897-07-24
SUMMER CARE OF LIVE STOCK

4
We all read great deal Of excellent ad-
vice on the care. of farm animals in
cold weather, but there is not as much said
concerning their care and treatment in hot
weather as its importance demands.
| Animals that have been well wintered
will, as we all know. flesh up very rapidly
when turned out on the succulent grass in
spring, provided the pasture is abundant.
But often this gratifying improvement
suddenly stops, and growth in the young
animals comes to a standstill, then all be-
gin to go down in condition, and by the
coming Of winter they are in worse shape
than when turned out in spring. 1t is not
an easy matter to keep live stock right up
hot, parching weather of midsummer but
much can be done in this direction by at.
tention to few simple principles.
The comfort and happiness Of any ami
NAL has great infuence on its health and
thrift. The animal cannot be comfortable
and happy that has to grub at short,
burned-out pasture from morning till night
in order to keep alive ; that can find no
shelter from the fierce heat of the midday
sun; that must either perish or quench its
thirst at muddy pool or foul tank; that
is tormented by flies from daylight till dark,
finding no rest except for a few hours at
night
Unless seasons become worse than they
ever have been SO far. there is no good. ex-
cuse for starving animals. For pastures to
become parched and dried up each season
has become the rule, and is expected now.
1t is not the part Of wisdom to attempt to
provide against this by increasing the size:of
the pasture, thus practically wasting land
that might be put to better use., The best
remedy for this greatest evil is to plant
small area in crops to be fed out green. One
acre thus used will furnish more feed and
of better quality than three of the burned
pasture.
Shade is not so easily furnished on the
farm where there is no permanent pasture,
where all the land is farmed in rotation,
and each field in turn used as pasture.
Most farmers do not want shade trees stand
ing here and there on cultivated land To
put up sheds of planks requires more work
than the average man will do for the COM
fort of stock, more than he believes will
pay. A few days ago heard man argu-
ing that shade in pastures is detriment to
the trees all through the middle of the day
instead Of eating grass as they would If
there were no shade On the contrary an
animal will do as we'll in an open lot in
winter as in shadeless pasture in summer
One of the advantages of permanent
pasture is that it may have plenty of shade
trees, and usually it can be arranged so it
adjoins wood lot where the animals can
find an abundance of shade in hot weather.
Whatever arrangement is'thought best. of
one thing we may rest assured. that shade
there must be if stock is expected to do
any good.
When we think for q moment how
necessary pure, cold water is to our own
well-being in hot weather, we can get some
idea of its importance for animals as we'll.
Perhaps the best supply Is that from springs
aud oYerfowing wells, but not many of us
are blessed with these in this region,
Where large number Of animals are kept
the tanks not very large, and supply is |
kept running through them, the wind |
pump is great blessing. But if there be
lily few animals. It is better to pump the
water by hand, pure and fresh from the
bottom of the we'll, in clean tanks or
troughs. This is possible on every farm
and the method generalIF practiced. It is
q pleasing fact that farm animals are now.
as rule, supplied with fairly good. pure