The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-10-09
GRAPE POMACE AS FEED FOR
MICH COWS.

In an editorial reference not long
to the investigation being made by
the United States agricultural depart
;ment of scuppernong culture and the
uses besides wine making the grapes
might be put to, we said that, no
doubt, it would be found that there
was a marketable value in the skins or
pOmace after the wine makers had
pressed out the juice. Already use has
been found in France for the grape
pomace, and a valuable one it is.
Strange to say it has been discovered
TO be a splendid feed for mich COWS
and is already being used by dairymen.
A report on this subject has been
made to the department Of commerce
and labor by a representative Of u
government in France. 1t seems that
the pOmace is also used as a fertilizer.
1t is said that feeding COWS on this
proves the quality of the milk, and
many of the French farmers are using
it with very satisfactory results.
The Charlotte Chronicle thus sum-
marizes the report of the American
officer on this subject.
After the wine is pressed out, the
pomace is generally used to make a
kind OF brandy called eau de vie de
mare and then the residue is used
as fodder for stock or as a fertilizer.
A French farmer has been expert
menting with this pOmaee and he an
nOunces that he has fOund a means
of converting it into an excellent fod-
der for mich COWS. He makes a
compound consisting of twenty parts
of sugar and seventy-five parts of
pomace, thus forming a substance that
the cows eat will great relish n
which a be preserved three months
He says that after he has fed this mix
ture to his COWS three days they give
20 per cent more milk than before and
that the milk was Of a muc better
quality.
In discussing this subject in an ag-
ricultural paper a writer suggests that
a larger quantity of sugar would pro-
duce still greater advantages. In fact,
he thinks the yield Of milk in ran
would increase by about ;ore-fourth.
There can be nothing deleteriOus to
health from this milk and it's quality
is so improved that its is thought that
will buy this milk in pref
erence to any other. AS his has been
an unusually dry summer the farmers
AVE seized upon this idea of a new
fodder with avid1ty and expect that it
will come to their rescue in a time of
great need. A company has been or
ganized at Clermont-Ferrand, with a
10 rjtol nf 0O0 mn f1~ fIo ,~~1~ oF
~ebui1ding a factory for converting
crap pomace into COW feed. It is
proposed that the new fodder will be
in tn" form of oil cakes and will on
sist OF chopped hay or straw. pomece,
and mOlasses. They calculate that this
season they will produce about 25.O00,-
600 Kilograms, equal in round num-
bers, TO $4,000 0 pounds.
If the French grape pomace can be
put to such valuable use, why should
not experiments be made to ascertain
if the pomace Of thousands of bushels
Of scuppernongs, which is thrown way
as perfectly worthless, cannot b. uti-
lied in similar or some other manner?
We have heard it stated that in Cali
fCrnia grape pomaca is used in making
cream Of tartar. Whether this be true
or not we amos say; uut the diction-
aries give the definition of tartar as
"a r~ddish crust or sediment in wine
casks consisting essentially of crude
cream of tartar and used in making
pure cream of tartar, tartaric acid, po-
tassium, carbonate ETC. SO it is like
ly that the statement is correct. Then
it is worth while to experiment with
the same refuse of the scuppernong
grape to e If like results cannot be
obtained. !.