The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1918-02-14

VI 4NVA tA J@dhOod -: WdlACu ~
James: H. Scofield, prominent
farmer and stockman, of Nfinot, TO
take up their horses Immediately,
which have been roaming the prai-
ries and fields during the winter,
rustling for their existence. Mr..
Seofeld says that already he esti-
mates that 10 per cent of horses
turned out last fall have died
and if the others are not cared for
Immediately, he believes that Is
per cent of them will have died by
spring.
eft is nothing to me personally. ;"
he said, "but 1 know what / am
talking about and despite the fact
that this may be said to be poor
advertising, the present conditions
are, so critical that I feel that /
would not be doing my duty if |
kept quiet. If farmers expect to
get any work out of the horses now
rustling on the prairies and about
the fields, they must take them w
at once, give them attention and
feed them well. 1t does not mat.
ter what the feed will cost. buy ii
and feed your horses. 1t is bet
ter to spend the value of one or
two horses on feed than to lose all
of them. Already ten per cent OF
the horses turned out last W inter
are to be found dead in the couleeS
and in the fields and if the horses
are not given attention very soon.
estimate that fully Is per cent
of them will die by spring.
"Another thing, horses are 60
ing to be high and mighty scarce
in the spring under these condi.
tions.
81 have had experience with let
ting horses range the prairie win
tiers during the past thirty years.
There was a time when this could
be done with safety. but in. those
days there was plenty of grass o.,
the prairies and the horses would
be picked up fat in the spring.
But conditions this year are dill
ferent. There is little grass on the
prairie and about the only feed
they can get is the stubble in the
fields, which has little food value
You can't feed your horses OH
northwest wind and snowballs and
expect to get any work out of them
in the spring. = s'-'al-,7
"It is poor policy to try to take
stock thru the winter OH just as
little feed a spossible If you az"
going to run short of feed at all
by all means do so later in the
spring. Feed your stock and keep
them up well early in the winter
and if you must stint them, do 50
the last month before grass comes.
You can't let stock run down in
the middle of the winter and then
expect to throw a few feeds into
them and revive them. That S a
dangerous practice. IF You lei
your stock run down the last months
before grass comes they will soon
pick up on the grass. hut feed them
now as that when you kick them
they will i,nmn up and get ont OF
your way. When you see them
looking dull-eyed and too inactive
TO OCT out of your way. look out
ct am feeding some ground
corn mixed with shorts TO NV
stock. This is little expensive.
but the corn furnishes the heat
necessary for them during the Win
ter and it has more food value than
oats. Feed the corn now and oats
later when working them.
"Another thing. farlscrs should
clip their horses in the spring af-
ter the weather warns up and
about the time they are put into
the fields. 1t will pay you to do
this. to get rid Of the old hair. ev-
en- if one has to be little careful
to blanket the horses for time.
The horses will do twice as much
work on the same feed in the
spring if clipped. It is about the
same to work horses with long hair
on as it would be for a man to get
out in the field with fur coat on
and try to do good days work.
"Let me again emphasize the
fact that horses should be taken
up and fed now Tt is very unus-
ual for horses to be diving on the
prairies in January. They usually
hold out until March. We will
have two or three months vet in
which it will he necessary to feel
our stock. IF it costs You half
what your horses are worth. take
them up and throw the feed into
Them"
FIRE THREATENED
EADNFEDC IST NV AY0p