Seo. C] 



FEEDING CATTLE AND CARE OF FARM-STOCK. 



65 



sisteiit with economy. If well attenJed, gootl animals consuming four per 

 cent, of their live weight of good huy daily, will gain daily two pounds of 

 fiesli. Suppose the flesh gained to be worth 16 cents, it will be equal to $8 

 a ton for the hay. The better practice, however, is to give only three per 

 cent, of the live weight of the animal in hay daily, and an equivalent for 

 the other one per cent, in Indian meal or roots. The gain would be greater 

 for the same cost of food." 



Another remark worth quoting is the followitlg : 



" The best age for feeding cattle for beef is from four to eight years. 

 Young growing cattle may be fattened, but it will require more food in pro- 

 portion, and longer time." 



88. How to Feed Roots. — ^There seems to be much diversity of opinion as 

 to the value of turnips, carrots, etc., for feeding. One man feeds his hogs a 

 i^rcat amount of them, but neglects to jjrovide a bed secure from the intru- 

 sion of cold winds and snow, and then wonders they do not grow ; or feeds 

 a cow four bushels per day, and wonders she does not fat. How could slie ? 

 She is almost physicked to death, and her urinary organs are injured by 

 ovei'-exertion ; and although she is thorougldy littered with straw, still her 

 feet arc in the water; and when she lies down, her side-is wet. 



After many trials in a similar way, many liave come to the conclusion 

 that root feeding is an unprofitable business in our climate. If hogs must 

 sleep in snow-banks, give them corn by all means, and give them plenty of 

 it. If cattle can not be stabled, or kept so sheltered that they may be dry, 

 then roots will not give one half tlie return they would under a judicious 

 system of management. 



After many trials of fattening sheep and horned cattle, and feeding store 

 stock of all kinds with roots, I came to the conclusion that they are all valu- 

 able when properly fed with liay and grain, but that their relative value to 

 grain is often overrated in this country of cheap corn. Eoots, unless cooked, 

 are not economical food for swine. 



The great error in relation to feeding roots is, that they are too much fed 

 to the exclusion of grain. A fai'mer has slioats to winter, or horned cattle 

 to fatten ; he first feeds his turnips, carrots, beets, small potatoes ; next his 

 corn or meal. This is wrong. Tiiu corn sliould be fed from the first. A 

 dozen shoats of 100 lbs. eacli would profitably receive a bushel per day of 

 roots, if cooked with corn. A futtuuing ox should have one busliol, or not 

 over two, per day, with six or eight (puirts of meal. Cows should have one 

 lialf bushel per day, whether being milked or not. That amount will bring 

 thuui out, in tlie spring, fat and ready to do good service at tiie pail, provided, 

 of course, that they have iuiy and stalks in due proportion. Calves and 

 j-earlings should always have one fourth bushel per day, with a very small 

 allowance of "rain. 



Tiie above is partly from the Stock Journal, and the following from the 

 Working Faiiner / botli of which are good autliorit}'. 



"We beg again to remind our readers, particularly those who are engaged 



