Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-11-11
The Rational Use of Salt.

At threshing time this summer there
were a number of the haulers' teams
standing in the barn one forenoon while
some stacked grain was being threshed.
heard great deal of gnawing and lick.
ing going on ip the horse barn while |
4, as cleaning out the test cows box
stalls. Upon going to see what it was,
found that these neighbors' horsea had
licked up the salt that always keep oD
the edge of the feed boxes next to the
partitions, while some of them were
making q ragged edge of the front end
of their feed box, or on the side where
the salt had been put. To save the
furniture put another small handful in
front of each of them, and some even
cleaned all of this up. Evidently tbresh-
ing demanded a great deal Of salt, or
else It was different brand from what
they had at home and they liked ours
better.
This set me to thinking of the way
we eat salt and to wondering II our
domestic animals, the horses, cattle,
sheep, and even hogs, ought not to have
the right to select or choose the amount
they individually desire. Our practice
is to put salt where all the stock can
get what they want every day, filling
the trough for the cows and calves In
the yard two or three times a week, at
the same time putting a small handful
upon the side of the horses feed box.
The test cows have q salt box in each
box stall, and if the herd ia kept In the
barn more than twenty-four hours ut q
time during inclement weather, put
pinch in each ones manger and sweep
out what they leave before feeding grain
or silage again. One of our COWS on
yearly test consumes salt of her own
free will at the rate of two pounds every
five days, or nearly half pound day.
Even though I could approximate the
amount that each animal eats, cannot
bring myself to mix that quantity with
their feed, and say to them, "Here is
your dose, eat 1t, whether 1t suits your
taste or not" At our table the accepted
method is to put In reasonable amount
of salt, not too much for anyone, for 1t
is always easier to add more than to take
II out after 1t is once In, and let those
that like more, add 1t. But as dumb
beasts cannot tell us what reasonable
amount of salt is, and we would have to
place It at their disposal anyway to let
the heavier salt eaters get what they
wanted, why not let them take 1t all that
wayP An old German neighbor of ours
used to make Q brine every night and
put-some on each cows grain. How
would you like to have someone put
nice pinch on your dish of Ice cream, or
in your coffee? And yet I should object
seriously II were given q dish OF un.
salted oatmeal for breakfast and still
more 80 If bad to live for days on un-
salted bread, meat and potatoes, which
had evidently been the case with some
of the neighbors' horses.
Should we not bear in mind that our
vegetarian animals, like ourselves, re-
auire q reasonable amount of salt each
day to make their organs function prop
erly and supply the actual needs OF the
whole body. as we'll as of the digestive
system? The frequent visits OF wild
animals to the salt licks Is evidence that
the craving for salt is not new one or
the sign OF q deprsved appetite.
We had several patches OF Canada
tbistles in the woods on our old place,
and salt scattered upon them after their
tops were cut served the double purpose
of fhelpipg to kill the thistles and sailing
the cows. incidentally, their tramping
around to get the salt helped in the de.
sired destruction. Anyone who has
cleaned off horse that sweat q great
deal the day before has doubtless had q
taste, accidentally, of what he was re-
moving, and noted how salty 1t was. Salt
helps to keep down worms in the digest
i've tract of growing animals and also
promotes that laxative condition 30
desirable in heavy milking cows. Scien-
lists also tell us that the basic element
in it, sodium, offsets in some way the
deleterious effects of preponderance OF
its half-brother, potassium, in cereals
and the grain preparations we eat every
day. This may work out in the same
manner In animals. So when you are
teaching your boy to be an up-to-date
farmer, teach him the habit of keeping
all the stock on the place that have
teeth, or should have, supplied with
good, clean salt, and the stock in turn
will always show him that 1t Is Sticking
od."-Lunan W. Cotton In Hoard's
noirvmau