The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1904-08-11

A correspondent writes: Kindly give
me sour opinion OF the pumpkin as
cattle feed, including its relation to in.
crease Of milk and butter fat Does
tbe pumpkin replenish or deplete the
fertilization Of soil? Some farmers
here in West Virginia grow them with
corn for enrly winter feed. How can
they best be fed and what other m.
lions should be given them? How
much per feed to cows in full flow of
milk and how often?
so far as | know very few, if any.
experiments have been made TO de.
termine tie 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 a 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 gener.
ally believed that the butter obtained
while the pumpkins were being fed
was Of superior quality and color. In
fact | remember distinctly that efforts
were made to have a 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 in.
creased the fow 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 MS
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 be has
seen them fed to cows year after year
Some people 60 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 dlges-
tlble protein as sugar beets or mangels;
it also contains more fat and about
the same amount of carbohydrates. A
ton Of pumpkins would take from the
soil about 30 pounds of nitrogen, 80
pounds Of phosphorlc acid and is
pounds Of potash. 1t thus does not
make heavy draft on the fertilizing
constituents OF the soil. As it COM
pares favorably in igestlbillty with
other root crops, it is undoubtedly !
equal in feeding value to
them and no one need hesitate to grow
the crop with the idea ia mind that |
1t will make heavy draft on soil fer
tility. Pumpkins may lie fed apDro-
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
4 determining influence. Pumpkins
may be run through an ordinary root
Dulper or sliced with spade and |
thrown into the trougas a. milking |
time. They may also be thrown over
The pasture field fence am cut up with
he spade, care being taken to keep |
he feeding place clean.-sorthern Ag-
'lculturist.