The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-08-11
Pumpkins as Gallo Feed.

Pumpkins as Cattle Feed.
\ correspondent writes: Kindly give
me your opinion of the pumpkin as
cattle feed, including its relation to in
crease of milk and butter fat. Does
the pumpkin replensh or deplete the
fertilization of soil? Some farmers
here in West Virginia grow them with
corn for early winter feed. How can
they best be fed and what other ra-
tions should be given them? How
much per feed to COWS in full flow of
milk and how often?
So far as l know very few, if any,
experiments have been made to de-
termine the value Of pumpkins as feed
for the dairy cow. 1t is generally re-
garded as excellent for this purpose,
however, and as pumpkins thrive so
well in corn fields, there is every reason
to commend the practice of planting
them in the corn rows so as to have a
good lot of them to feed during the
early autumn. AS boy on my
fathers farm pumpkins were grown
largely, not only in the corn rows, but
on especially prepared pieces Of
ground, and were fed for several weeks
to COWS during the fall. 1t was geneT-
ally believed that the butter obtained
while the pumpkins were being fed
was of superior quality and color. In
fact, I remember distinctly that efforts
were made to have plentiful supply
of pumpkins for feeding to the COWS
when butter was being manufactured
for exhibition at county fairs. 1t was
also believed that the pumpkins ill.,
creased the flow of milk. This might
have been due to the fact that the pas
lures were often short in the fall.
though in my opinion it is an excellent
food for the dairy cow. The ordinary
yellow variety of pumpkin yields well
from nine to twelve tons per acre
when planted on open ground, and as
they are very easy to grow, there is
no reason why & patch cannot be util-
lied on every dairy farm for several
weeks in the fall to the best advan-
tage.
Some have thought the seeds Of the
pumpkins injured the cow. having an
unfavorable action on the kidneys, but
the writer has never observed any
thing of this character. though he has
seen them fed to COWS year after year.
Some people so to the trouble of TAX
ing the seeds out and throwing them
away, but this hardly seems necessary
under the circumstances. The com
mon pumpkin contains as much diges-
tible protein as sugar beets or nangels;
it also contains more fat and about
the same amount of carbohydrates. 4
ton of pumpkins would take from the
soil about % pounds Of nitrogen. 3.2
pounds of phosphoric acid and is
pounds Of potash. 1t thus does not
make a heavy draft on the fertilizinS
constituents Of the soil. AS it COM
pares favorably in indiSestibility with
other root crops, it is undoubtedly
practically equal in feeding value to
them and no one need hesitate to grow
the crop with the idea in mind that
it will ,uake heavy draft on soil fer
tility. Pumpkins may tie fed appro-
propriately about as roots would be fed
to the COW; that is. from twenty to
forty pounds per day, depending on the
nature of the roughness fec and the
amount OF grain used. If the cattle
were on pasture, this would also have
a determining influence. Pumpkins
may be run through an ordinary root
pulper or sliced will. spade and
thrown into the troug.s a: milking
time. They may also be thrown over
the pasture field fence ant cut up with
the spade, care being taken to keep
the feeding place clean.-Southern Ag-
riculturist.