Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-08-11


an idea that II anything goes wrong
with their live stock and they happen to
Be feeding cotton seed meal the trouble
Is or necessity due to the use OF that
concentrate Just why or how this idea
ORIGINATED Is hard to discover. Probably
II Il attributable TO the fact that when
cotton seed meal was nrst fed TO beef
cattle II was used with so little oiscre-
ton and fed in such large quantities that
animals sometimes became sick ana occa-
sionally died The trouble was denomi-
mated locally as fiat sickness and was
ehouxht to result from the presence OF
some toxic or poisonous substance In the
cotton seed mea- The most careful and
exhaustive Investigations have failed 70
discover the presence Of toxins, how
y ever. and It Is quite evident that the
frouble was due 10 somethipg else In
The light OF careful Investigation and
continued experiment. IL soon became
apparent that the trouble was due 10
the overfeedIng OF animals with an ex-
icepkionally concentrated material Wnen
cotton seed meal The most careful and
use as much was not known about az
rfculturai chemistry as IS understood
and appreciated today, and II took those
to whom this cheap by-product came as
= boon a long time 70 realize that there
wak no specifc difference worthy or
consideration on the part Of the feeder
between the various concentrates and IN
fact as much progress in this direction
has not been made even now as is desir-
able.
Every farmer thinks he knows more or
less about the feeding value OF oats, but
possibly he does not realize that 100
pounds Of high-grade< cotton seed meal
contafn. almost four times as much OF
- g~N. -, hrrffA
nerves ard tissues as q similar amount
Of cats. This being true. Il Is quite evi-
dent that only one-fourth as much cot
Ton seed meal need be fed to supply the
same amount OF protein as would be nee
essary In the case or oats AS matter
OF fact. so-cailed fat sickness" has been
easily overcome by simply reducing the
amount OF cotton seed meal fe1 and Civ
Ing greater variety TO the ration by af-
forsing the animals an opportunity 10
set some green feed during the fatten-
fng period Shortening the time Of fat
teuing has also had a beneficial effect
and has lessened the tendency 70 this
tronhle.
when cotton seed meal was first fed 10
dairy cows the same mistake was made
as with beef cattle The writer has
known as much as fifteen TO seventeen
pounds 70 be fed tc an animal in a day
and this rate OF feeding kept up for con-
siderable periods CT time II was no
wo1der under the circumstances that
the animals sometimes became sick. and
that even cases Of abortion occurred In
the. herd This method OF feeding was
certainly unreasonable and without pre-
cedent. for a good dairy COW giving
A. much as two gallons OF milk a day.
which would be at the rate Of about
Soc pounds a year. should not be fed
ordinarily more. than 9 pound 10 a pound
and q half OF grain per 100 pounds OF
live weight A Jersey cow. In other
words. weighing from 100 TO 1000 pounds
should not consume over eight to twelve
pounds OF grain In day. Suppose oats
and corn were fed on the one hand and
cotton seed meal on the other. The pro-
TEN would be supplied by the twelve
pounds OF oats and corn. whereas only
about four pounds OF cotton seed meal
should be fed Thousands Of dairy cows
are now fed n the south-a1most exclu-
sfvely on cotton seed meal. and when
the ration is adjusted to the needs OF
Che animal and cotton seed meal fed IN
proportion 70 its relative strength as
compared with other foodstuffs. no dan
ger OF sickness or III health need be an
ficspated- when fed In large quantities
By careless and Indifferent labor. sickness
may be expected. but this win as GER
tafn1y follow with other materials as
with cotton seed meal The fact OF the
naatter Is. sporadic cases OF abortion in
cows and other classes OF live stock are
not uncommon This trouble may be due
70 = variety OF causes. as. for instance
kick or injury obtained In the pasture
or violent abuse There is no reason or
common sense In associating causes of
abortion OF this character with the
feeding OF cotton seed meal, for the trou-
be Is just as likely to occur where bran.
oats or corn meal is fed. occasionally
herds are attacked BY contagious abor-
ton This Is the result OF an infec-
<fon OF the reproductive organs by a spe-
cizc germ. and Is In no way chargeabIe
TO the character OF food given the ami
mails Withholding feed Of any charac-
ter viii not check or eradicate the trou-
bic. Therefore. where cotton seed meal
is fed nationally and with that degree
or skin and judgment which win enable
the owner TO obtain the best results
from II In dollars and cents. no unde-
slrable results need be anticipated
The same conclusions apply In the feed
ing OF this splendid concentrate TO
horses and mules and sheep. For sorses
and mules not over two pounds per head
oer day had best be fed, and to sheep
upon the age and condition OF the AMI
both classes OF stock viii improve II ma
terially and viii result in larger gains.
because there VIII be supplied that ele-
naent Of protein in which all rations fed
to live stock In the south are lacking
II appears. therefore. from a consid-
Grafton CT all the factors involved that
cotton seed meal in no way affects the
reproductive functions OF our principal
classes OF live stock. and that IL may be
fed to them with safety and satisfaction
provided the observations noted herein
are given due weight and consideration.
IDENTIFICATION or A SPECIMEN
OF CLOVER
3 E. X. Ellijay. Ca. writes: / send
you a sample OF clover that I am very
much interest in There have been
punches growing on my farm the last
few years II seems adapted TO thin
soil. either clay or sandy. 1t natures