The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-05-13
MOlaSSes as Stock Feed.

A rather new discussion at the Feb
ruary meeting of the American Farm
ers' Club at Donaldsonville, La.
brought out the fact that molasses fed
in connection with hay, cottonseed
hulls or other dry seedstuffs is not on
ly palatable to livestock, but keeps
them in fine working condition, while
it is great economizer of more costly
feed. Mr.. Ant. M. Sobrel, who led in
the discussion, said that he began to
feed molasses to the mules on his plan.
tation in 1901. He had fed it before
without mixing it with other feed,
but with different results. Having on
hand lot of inferior hay, which his
stock did not relish, he conceived the
idea of feeding it in connection with
molasses as a sweetener. The expert
ment was perfect success. The
mules ate the sweetened hay with
great relish, and fattened upon it,
MIR. Sobrel began with a small quan.
tity of molasses, and increased it grad
ualIy. "At the outset" he says, 81
cut the usual grain allowance in bali
and substituted three-euarters of a
gallon of molasses. l calculate full
grain feed at five gallons of corn and
oats mixed hence the half allowance
of which I speak was about two and
one-half gallons, or little less.
This ration was continued unit
April l, when alfalfa came in and our
corn supply was exhausted. 1 re-
duced the grain feed then to one gal
Ion of oats, mixed with. alfalfa and
molasses, feeding twice day. When
the crop had been laid by 1 discon-
tinued the oats altogether, and fed
only on alfalfa, gras and molaases,
which kept the stock in fine order and
perfect health until the beginning of
the grinding season. No green corn
was cut on Oak Alley (the name of
his plaEtation) last year; there was
an abundance of feed without it.
Fifty one mules and four borses are
fed on the place, and the animals
have never been in better health.
n lot dose of medicine has been given
them in nearly fifteen months-that
is, since the feeding of molasses was
begun. Our stock has never before
been in such good condition. During
the grinding season I did not feed at
noon only at night. Didn't even
bring the mules in from the fields at
noon for water, and found that they
did not seem to suffer at all under this
treatment. I now divide the feed,
giving it at noon and night. The bills
of Oak Alley for bought feed in 1901
reached $4,000. In 1902 the only
bought feed was a small carload of
oats, costing $3.50, and part of this
was sold to tenants on the place. Mo-
lasses is a good substitute for corn. 1t
is better to use oats in hot weather
than corn. Alfalfa replaces oats. /
have found that mules don't eat any
new feed with avidity, but will soon
get used to it. don't think molasses
should be given alone; the better way
is to mix it with other feed. About a
barrel of molasses is being fed every
day at Oak Alley"
Mr.. Sobrel stated that many small
farmers bought molasses from his plan
tation at five cents a gallon to feed
mules with, and thought these small
farmers were formerly prejudice
against its use. It's value as an article
of stock feed and its great economy
over the use of corn have overcome
their prejudices. Mr.. Sobrel says he
began to feed quarter of gallon of
molasses a day, which he continued
for week or two; then he increased
the quantity to half gallon, and in
crements were made at intervals until
five quarts day were fed. which was
the maximum quantity used.
Mr.. Tucker at the same meeting
gave his experience with the use of
cottonseed bulls mixed with molasses
as feed for milch cows. When fed
alone the cottonseed bulls were scarce
ly touched by them, but when mixed
with molasses they were eaten raven
ously. The hulls cost 81 a ton. Mr..
Mccall regarded the solution of the
economical feeding of stock as lying
at the very foundation of the success.
ful prosecution of the sugar interest in
Louisiana, and il such saving in the
cost of feeding could be made as de-
scribed by Mr.. Sobrel, the question
would be solved. Mr.. Sobrel in 1901
spent as much of $500 some months
for stock feed. In 1902 the expendi-
ture was less than $500 for the entire
year, and the mules were strong, in
good order and equal to any in the
parish. They got too fat in the sum-
mer months, aud the feed had to be
reduced ; in fact, they gained so much
flesh that new collars had to be
bought for them. From one-half to
three-guarters Of the outlay for feed,
according to Mr.. Sobrel, may be saved