The sea coast echo., 1903-12-12

oAo % accustomed 10 1eedlnB certain
foods that they will not readily change
from one kind to another, and yet
there is such a thing as feeding an
abundance while the animal is really
starving. For example, corn is do
hcient In lime. though rich in oil and
starch. Hogs that are fed mostly
on corn become weak because there
Is an insufficiency Of the bone-forming
elements In the food, and 1t has been
the case that whole herds have died,
apparently from disease, when in fact
the animals simply demanded proper
foods. In one case where a farmer
lost large number OF hogs and had
attributed the cause Of hog cholera"
all remedies failed until one of the
hired men happened to try wood
ashes. At once an improvemnt was
noticed, and soon the so-called disease
was conquered. The fact was that
wood ashes contain large proportion
OF lime, as we'll as certain percentage
Of phosphates, thus supplying the anil
mails with something that could not
be procured from the corn, and yet
every farmer should understand such
fact, though many of them will not
devote their attention in that direction.
IL Is not at all necessary for any
farmer TO fed wood ashes to swine.
When a hog shows q desire for wood
ashes the evidence is produced that
hn IA dnA In e.l,
pilates. Hogs will consume wood
ashes because they do not receive
something peter. AS corn is the
cheapest food produced on farms and
also the best for fattenlng 1t Is used
literally. but with varied food given
to animals the corn will give better re-
suits. Even when an animal is being
fatted there Is a demand not only
for the elements that produce bone.
bnt also for those that enter into the
composition of the muscles. AS corn
contains about 10 per cent of nitro
gen It Is not very deficient In flesh
(muscle) forming material, though It
could be improved in that respect by
being fed In connection with other
foods, but 1t is incapable Of promot-
ing the growth of the bony structure
unless the animal can consume an
enormous amount, but corn increases
the proportion of fat and would do so
more rapidly II there could be q great
or increase OF bone. The difference Of
q few pounds between corn and some
other essential food, would show won
dertul results where a corn diet has
been relied upon almost exclusively,
and when o change Of foods is made
there is a cheapening Of all the foods
used.
What should the farmer use In place
OF corn? II Is not necessary for him
to resort to any foods which are to
take the place Of corn entirely. What
should be done is simply TO reduce
the corn ration and substitute some
thing therfor. In summer this can be
easily done, but in winter there Is
more difficulty in providing a va
ricty Skim milk Is excellent, as 1t
contains both the fesh-forming and
bore-forming elements, but the ami
mails will be compelled TO consume
large amount Of water in the milk in
order to derive therefrom the solid
content, but there are other foods
that may be as cheap. Curiously enough,
when the suggestion was made years
ago to fed hay to swine, the idea was
received with derision, yet 1t is now
known that clover hay is excellent
not only for swine, but also for poul-
try, the clover hay being cut fine with
feed cutter, scalded, sprinkled with
bran and corn-meal and fed warm
in the morning, as it then serves to as
sis, in warming the animal on a cold
morning. Glover hay contains not only
nitrogen, but is also rich in lime. 1t
also promotes digestion on account Of
it's bulk, serving to divide the ground
grein and distend the stomach, there
by increasing the efficiency OF the en-
tire ration. Bran and middlings are
also excellent for assisting to provide
lime, but they give the best results
when fed in connection with milk,
scalded clover or roots.
Not only swine but all classes of
live stock demand lime in their foods,
an the lime cannot be given them ex-
cept as II exists in the natural COM
binations in the foods. No animal can
thrive when 1t is supplied only with
portion of that which II demands and
must have. The COW that produces
milk sends off from the farm every
day certain mineral and nitrogenons
substances which she derives from the
food. She may be given an abund-
ance of corn, but the proportion OF
fat in the milk Is not large, and the
corn more than supplies all the fat re-
quired; but when the food no longer
provides the other elements that ey or
into the composition of milk, the e.
will fall off in yield because 1t is an
impossibility for her to produce a
substance containing certain elements
when those elements are lacking In the
food. 1t does not add to the expense
to feed the proper foods to any ami.
NAL. but 1t viii make large reduction
In the profits II the animals are not
supplied. All that is necessary is to
fed variety. Do not discard corn.
but simply reduce the amount ana
give something else with 1t. In that
manner ration will be balanced, and
The live stock viii be fiardier and more
profitable in consequence.