176 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



capital each year. While lookiag for some branch to follow for its 

 profits, it is well for us to learn some of the simple rules to follow 

 in feeding and care. 



As the same rules hold good for all stock, a few general principles 

 will not be amiss. The first rule to be observed when feeding stock 

 for profit is to provide it with an abundance of food suitable for its 

 requirements every day it is in our care. As the usefulness of all 

 animals depends largely upon the manner in which they are fed the 

 first year of their lives, uU our young stock should be kept growing 

 every day. No practice of feeding produces such wof ul results, or 

 is so much of a crime, as the far too common one of starving young 

 animals through the winter by keeping them upon the coarser fod- 

 der alone. Their needs induce an appetite that leads them to eat 

 such food a little more readily than full grown animals, therefore 

 they are kept upon it and all growth stopped just at the time when 

 they would best repay a liberal feed, keeping them in a state of 

 chronic hunger, while their owner, perchance, spends most of his 

 time arguing that it does not pay to keep or raise stock. And who 

 wonders ? Such men meet the advice to feed liberally with the old saw, 

 "I can't afford to feed grain." Never was there a greater mistake. 

 We cannot afljord to feed any other waj' than liberally. Poor feed- 

 ing impoverishes the soil and its owner, while a generous diet brings 

 ample returns in more productive fields and more income from the 

 business, besides the indirect source of gain which yields the sense 

 of pleasure and pride which is derived from handling sleek, well fed 

 animals and contemplating the beauties of growing grain and abun- 

 dant harvests. A well known writer says, truthfully, "The economy 

 in feeding farm stock, in order to obtain the greatest improvement, 

 earliest maturity and largest profits, is the result of continued liberal 

 feeding of the most succulent and nutricious foods abundant in 

 albuminoids and carbohydrates. He who would practice true 

 economy in feeding should have lettered upon the walls of his stables, 

 and distinctly and indelibly stamped upon the tables of his memory 

 the ancient and wise saying: "Withholding doth not enrich thee 

 nor giving impoverish," says Lockhart. "Good farming consists in 

 taking large crops from the soil, while at the same time you leave it 

 better than you found it." — Also, "Good crops make good manure, 

 and good manure makes good crops." How better can farmers 

 supply themselves with this good manure which will make good 

 crops, than by liberally feeding all their animals and carefuUj' secur- 



