The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-04-10
The Winter Water Supply.

Professor e. Davenport, of the Him
OILS Agricultural College, says: in the
Farmers Voice:
Good water and fresh air are food
materials as indispensable as are grain
and roughage. In most cases they are
so abundant as to cost nothing, yet
thousands of our animals suffer for
water, especially in the winter season.
Many of our animals are able to help
] themselves throughout the summer and
not until some sudden and severe
/ drought do we appreciate the amount
( they really take. But in winter, with
/ dry feed instead of fresh the demand
is severe and natural supplies are for
! the most part cut off.
| wish every sheep in existence could
speak in every language on earth until
the foolish notion that these animals
do not need water should disappear.
] have often tried to account for the
origin Of this idea, and suppose it to
rest in the fact that they will survive
extreme hardship in this particular.
But anyone who has ever observed
sheep that had ready access to water
know how frequently they take it and
any one who has carried it in pals
few days to satisfy the thirst of a
large flock has some adequate notion
of the amount they will consume if
they can get it.
Much is said against the consumption
of impure water by live stock, and it
is rightly condemned. But apprehend
that more suffering arises from and
more damage is due to insufficient
amounts and to excessive low tempera-
ture than to impurity. All contamina-
ton is offensive to our instincts. but
we have learned to know that the i'm
purity to dread is that arising from the
presence of disease-producing germs,
and that water may be highly colored
and still be harmless.
If any great difficulty or unpleasant
experience attends the getting of water,
animals will wait until suffering drives
them to the attempt when they are |
likely to take too much. This may |
arise from distance when the supply is |
so far removed from the yards as to
require disagreeable trip through
storm to reach it. 1t may arise on the
part Of the younger and the weaker
through fear, because it is well known
that among cattle the bosses" HELM
themselves first, then delight to wait
about the drinking places to drive away
hose who have waited patiently. There
must be kind of satanic satisfaction
N this that is most irritating to the
3tockman.
Stock often avoid water as long as
possible because of cold. Ice water
makes the teeth ache and neither cattle
Tor sheep have the habit Of running
o "warm up Both dread to drink
ce-cold water and from this reason
lone deny themselves what they really
iced for best gains Every stock mas
err has watched cattle getting their
eeth used to cold water and has noted
he attendant suffering. He has also
loted the immoderate amount finally
aiken, showing that they have avoided
until tortured by thirst.
Now this is not humane and it does
OF pay. There are a few general prin-
iples dictated by common sense that
ught TO prevail: First. all animals need
nd must have for humanity and best
eturn liberal amounts of good water ,
econd, it should be SO ready of access
bat it may be taken at will, or that 7
here is no watering time" in which Y
ne "undcrlings' enjoy the delectable Z
leasure of snatching swallow of cold
alter. taking a punch in the ribs by
ay Of emphasis and returning with the
erd thirsty and discouraged Then
gain. third LET the water be warm .
lough, SO that the act OF drinking is =
ne of pleasure and not of SUFFERING. =
sc the animals will not take enough
j feed TO advantage.
Lei me appeal to both humanity and
ie Docketbook 10 the end that fewer
'utes shall sulier In the winter that Z
70 come Pack the tanks and put II
heater, apa & VIII bs bread upon i
u NAleFN /,