214 Feeds omd Feeding. 



323. Artichoke. — At the Massachusetts Station,* Goessmann 

 reports artichokes planted ^ray 4 yielding a crop in November at 

 the rate of 8.2 tons per acre. At the Arkansas Station ^ the 

 yield was from 454 to 612 bushels per acre. Schweitzer, of the 

 Missouri Station, ^ found artichokes of equal value with potatoes 

 for pig feeding. (488, 868) The artichoke crop is harvested by 

 allowing pigs to root out and consume the tubers. 



324. Storing roots. — Eoots should be stored dry in well- venti- 

 lated cellars or pits where the temperature is just above freezing. 

 Many stockmen hold that roots are not suitable for feeding until 

 several weeks after harvesting and storage, during which time 

 they undergo a process of ripening which fits them for animal use. 



325. Feeding roots. — In Great Britain roots take the place of 

 much of the grain and coarse forage which would otherwise be 

 required by stock. In such cases sheep are fed as much as 

 20 and cattle 100 pounds daily. In this country, where they 

 are more often used for variety than nourishment, the animal is 

 given a smaller allowance. For horses four or five pounds of 

 carrots, for dairy cows twenty to thirty pounds of mangels, and 

 for sheep four or five pounds of rutabagas, are a fair daily allow- 

 ance of roots, and one that will greatly conduce to the healthful- 

 ness of flock and herd. 



Carrots may be fed to horses without slicing. 



Eoots of all kinds should be sliced for sheep, and either sliced 

 or pulped for cattle. This crop is not generally used for swine 

 feeding in this country, but small quantities may be fed to animals 

 of all ages with advantage. (657, 765, 867) 



326. Roots modify the animal carcass. — At the Utah Station, < 

 Sanborn fed roots to steers, sheep and swine, and on determining 

 the water and fat of the carcasses wrote: '' (1) The live- weight 

 gain for cattle and sheep was greater, and for hogs less, when fed 

 on roots. (2) The dressed weight of cattle, sheep and hogs 

 showed in every case greater shrinkage for those fed on roots. 

 (3) The root-fed animals contained more blood and necessarily 



