Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-03-01
BY <. 8. HART, Wisconsin College
Of Agriculture.

mixtures to our live stock?
1t is very clear that complex salt
mixtures should not oe purchased by
our farmers. For example, there is
on the market a product designed for
dairy cows which consists of calcium
phosphate, sodium chloride, potassium
iodide, magnesium sulphate, sodium
sulphate, ferrous sulphate, and sui
phur. In the name Of common sense
and science why should we add sodi-
UNI phosphate, sulphur, iron sulphate,
or magnesium sulphate, to dairy
cows ration?
If the COW is getting good clover or
alfalfa hay in addition to her grains
and silage, the only thing she needs
In addition is some common salt, pos
sibly some bone meal or wood ashes,
and if you have had trouble with
goiter0us calves a small amount Of
potassium iodide There is absolute
" no need, with our present informal
ton, for spending money for anything
else. We are told that "high test
cows are often fed charcoal. This,
again, seems a perfectly needless ex-
pense and there is no scientific infor-
nation that would justify the use of
charcoal for a COW.
There is also on the market a min
eral hog ration which contains the
same ingredients as the mineral dairy
COW ration plus charcoal IF our swine
need some charcoal in winter feeding
(and we do not believe they do where
they can go to rack of clover or. al
falfa hay), then buy the charcoal only
and not all the other salts contained
in such mixture. y
u There is on the market another min
eral mixture which from analysis APP
pears to consist of common salt, a low
grade rock phosphate, and some caleb
UNI carbonate of ground limestone.
We do not recommend it's purchase be
cause it is too expensive as a mix
ture.
Home Mix Cheaper.
There are other complex mineral
mixtures on the market none OF which
have any merit whatever over the TN
mixed, simple ingredients that a farm
er should use. There is no educa-
tional value in using an unknown mix
ture. To purchase intelligently the
salts needed leads in many cases to a
better understanding Of the problems
Of nutrition and to a well-grounded
knowledge of agricultural science.
There is nothing mysterious about
esoJ% Tho r1cofII
things that they carry can always be
| bought cheaper as separate materials
than in the complex salt mixtures now
offered for sale Such Carriers Of
phosphorus and calcium that we may
need to use under special conditions
can always be obtained cheaper in
steamed bone meal, wood ashes,
ground limestone or rock phosphate
than in these complex salt mixtures.
There is a possibility that some of
the complex mixtures on the market
for swine are effective in helping rid
the pigs of worms, but the use of a
| specific and reliable worm eradicator
is to be recommended. Such a mixture
is santonine, 27a grains; calomel, ~
grains; sodium bicarbonate, 1 dram
and areca nut / dram.
The above mixture is used for so
pound pigs and given in water or milk
after Withholding food for one day.
Five Points TO Consider.
Here is a summary Of the situation :
ID In the present state of our
knowledge we advise the use of COM
mon salt in all live stock rations
(2) We advise the use of potassium
or sodium iodide as an insurance
against goiter and hairless pigs. This
especially applies to those farms which
have already experienced trouble In
these directions.
CD In swine feeding and in the alb
sence of dairy by-products, tankage or
green pasture we would advise the
use of lime carrier such as steamed
bone meal, wood ashes, ground lime
stone, or rock phosphate where the
ration is made wholly from grains.
The lime carriers should be used to
the extent of three to four pounds per
100 pounds of grain. Where use is
made OF dairy by-prOducts such as
skinned milk, buttermilk, or of tank
age and the rest of the ration proper
" selected there is no need of an ad-
ditional lime supply. Where whey is
used a lime supply may be added
In the case Of cows, sheep and
horses, where the forage feed is grown
on acid soils and is of a non-legume
type, calcium carrier such as
steamed bone meal, wood ashes, lime
stone or rich phosphate should be
added to the ration at the rate of three
to four pounds per 100 pounds of grain.
Even where the roughage consists of
clover, alfalfa or soy bean hay the
use of any Of the above materials can
be recommended and certainly will
do no harm. They may not be util-
lied to a high degree, but probably
some IL utilized Even if not COM
pIetely absorbed by the animal they
will enrich the manure, particularly
| with Phosphorus when bone meal or
rock phosphate are used. Their great
est utilization, how ever, will be ac-
complished by feeding them in con-