Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-04-14

ENr the system DEENAAt SluSs 1911 III NAAN
spring of the year. Many people no
doubt recall their own feelings at this
season with anything but pleasure.
: They also remember that If the physi-
clan is called in some sort OF cleans
ing draught is given and very OFTEN
tonic. the idea being to relieve the
! overtaxed digestive system, cleanse the
body of toxins or poisOns, and stimulate
the secretLons When this is accom-
DIished one feels infinitely better and is
then in shape to meet the change in
weather conditions which always occur
with the opening up Of spring and the
1 coming OF summer.
The conditions described are not
/ peculiar to the human being, but apply
with equal force to all animal life. and
hence the wise farmer will bear this
! fact in mind, and so protect his animals
I by giving them the proper course or
! treatment as to enable them TO enter
upon the spring and summer work In
the best possible condition. In cold
weather there is often tendency to
K heavy feeding with comparatively little
Z exercise due to the fact that horses
4 and mules stand idle for considerable
periods of time on account OF wet
weather which renders IL impracticable
10 work the ground. II feed lis at all
abundant IL does not seem worth while
% cut down the ration, and so effect
saving in feed but better protect the
health Of the work stock as well. There
Is a tendency for all human being 10
overeat. and animals are perfect gut
tons II man permits them free access 70
the feed. The result in both cases Is
the same in that heavy feeding produces
IuggiShness. and ultimately indigestion
of a more or less chronic form.
Other aggravating causes which tend
Whn
sprfng season opens up is the constant
consumption during the winter season
Of dry. coarse fodder difficult TO masti-
cate and mix thoroughly with the saliva
and digestive juices, and also difhcult
/ r. elaborate the natural food constituents
therefrom, and eliminate the waste ma
terials from the digestive tract. II is
not surprising. therefore, that ndlges-
ton should often occur in the spring
! of the wear. In fact IL probably is more
often met with at this season than at
any other time, and the dry folders and
coarse hays used must be charged up
with part of the responsibility Tor TINS
condition. There is also tendency TO
irrational feeding especially during the
winter months. Sometimes II seems 10
the live stock owner that he can main
tain his animals on coarse fodders
alone: hence he fails to provide sum-
Gent variety. not only of the roughage
hut of the concentrated part Of the "a
ton TO maintain an adequate amount OF
mineral matter and protein IN the ra-
.ions for his animals. 1t has been SHOWN
over and over again that this is dis
astrous policy to pursue and viii ultl-
uateIy result in getting the animals ON
feed and upset the digestion.
! The opening up of spring also ac-
4 counts for a natural lassitude due TO
] which it brings,
and the fact that the body has not heen
| accustomed to performing active and
arduous labor. When hard work Is
therefore suddenly imposed upon live
stock. the system is subjected TO an
unusual strain, one In fact under winch
il frequently breaks down. Very great
care should be taken at this season.
therefore,. TO see that the ration is as
| laxative in character as possible, for
nothing will induce Indigestion more
quickly than the overlooking Of the ali
mentarv canal with coarse material
which can not be eliminated readily
from it. BY laxative and easily d.
gested ratiOns are meant those whlch
contain tonic grains like bran or oats.
Since green feed will be lacking on
many farms, the roughage part of the
ration may be made more palatable by
chopping il up and moistening IL with
water containing some salt. If the
coarse material thus cut up is allowed
/ to stand for a few hours before ii is
fed, it softens very considerably, and
will assist in providing the animal with
a substitute for some green feed.
Every man who owns live stock
/ should endeavor to have green feed
/ available as early in the spring as
practicable. and this can be accomplish
/ ed on most farms through the planting
| of some cereal crop early the previ-
| Gus autumn. Rye will answer very
well for this purpose, and alfalfa will
De found even more satisfactory. These
/ easily digested foods tend TO wash out
the system and keep the secretions in
good condition, a matter of primary i'm
portance in keeping work stock in Wig
orOus state of health. little care
and forethought will enable the aver
age farmer TO improve the roughage
/ part of his ration very materially, but
IT is we'll to remember that green feed
can not be substituted for dry feeds in
the maintenance Of work stock, but
the use of a small amount is Of the
highest Importance.
Aside from the roughage part of the
alton one must feed well-balanced
combination of concentrates. ration
OF corn and fodder alone. the average
ration fed, and judging by the amount
OF Indigestion and other ills from which
our work stock suffer, is a mistake on
its face. Moreover, scientific investiga-
ton has shown IL to be clearly wrong.
and when science ana practice both
combine to prove a ration in error, il
would seem that the thinking man
would Immediately abandon it's use. As
a matter of fact, the ration OF corn
and fodder now used can be easily Inn
proved and made TO meet the require
ments of work stock to good advantage.
IN a farm where corn and oats are avail
able, feed these in equal parts at the
rate OF about IL pounds per day for a
1.0O0-pound animal Add TO this COM
bination two pounds OF cotton seed meal
and the concentrated part of the ton
VIII have been satisfactorily solved,
and the essential protein provided.
There is no reason why oats should not
De available on every southern farm,
but If the farmer has fed up his sup
ply or has failed to produce a suffici-
eEt amount of this very desirable con-
centrate. then he can use corn and cot
ton seed meal. In the event he ia
forced to depend on this ration he
should combine - pounds OF corn meal
or Il pounds Of corn and cob meal
with at least pounds of cotton seed
meal There should, OF course, be n
variation IN the ration depending on the
size and weight of the animal and the
labor performed. Liberal feeding is
necessary where hard work is being
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