862 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



hay is equal in nutritive value to 100 lbs. of mea- 

 dow hay. Petri & Thaer estimate, from their 

 experiments in feeding, that 90 lbs. of clover hay 

 is equal to 100 lbs. of meadow hay ; while Block, 

 Pabet & ScHWEEZ estimate meadow hay to be 

 equal to clover hay. It will be seen that the the- 

 oretical estimate of clover hay is higher than the 

 ■ feeding trials will sustain. On the other hand, 

 the practical farmers estimate carrots higher than 

 chemists. The practical men, however, differ con- 

 siderably among themselves as to the value of car- 

 rots. Thus, Meya thinks 250 lbs. of carrots equal 

 to 100 lbs. of hay, while Block thinks it will take 

 366 lbs. According to Boussingattlt's analysis, it 

 requires 382 lbs. of carrots to afford as much nu- 

 triment as 100 lbs. of meadow 

 hay. The reason of this differ- 

 ence is probably owing to the 

 method of feeding. A small 

 quantity of carrots given in con- 

 junction with dry food, will give 

 a healthier tone to the system, 

 and enable the stomach to digest 

 the food better, and thus afford 

 better results, than the mere 

 amount of nutriment in the car- 

 rots would indicate. On the 

 other hand, if carrots formed the 

 principal food, this advantage 

 would, in a great degree, be lost. 

 It will be seen that Boussi:n- 

 oault's own experiments in feed- 

 ing cattle give results nearly 

 identical with the theoretical 

 estimate. 



The same is true of other roots, 

 given in small quantities, as a kind of tonic, or con- 

 diment. Thus ruta-bagas, or Swedes, are estima- 

 ted very much higher by the practical men than by 

 BoTTSSiNGAULT. Analysis indicates that 676 lbs. of 

 ruta-bagas are only equal to 100 lbs. of hay, while 

 Petri and Thaer think 300 lbs., and Sciiwerz 200 

 lbs. of this root is equal to 100 lbs. of hay. 



There are many other points in the table worthy 

 of attention, but the careful reader will not fail to 

 see them. Bottssingaxjlt finds from his feeding 

 experiments that Indian corn is more imtritious 

 than his analysis indicates. This is undoubtedly 

 the case; while it is equally true that peas and oil- 

 cake, though highly nutritious, are somewhat over- 

 estimated by theoretical writers. 



COOKING FOOD FOE CATTLE. 



Our opinion has been asked in regard to the ad- 

 vantages of cooking food for cattle, and the best 

 apparatus for the purpose. 



That cooking renders our ordinaiy cattle -food 

 more easily digestible we think their can be no rea- 

 sonable doubt. Whether the gain in this respect 

 is equal to the cost and labor of cooking id anothei 



LEAOLl.V.m>.li<^- 



niCHMOND S STEAMING APPARATUS. 



a, is the rserToir of water, h, balances the float on the water, and indicates its level, 

 c, is the cock by which the water in the reservoir i& allowed to enter the boiler, whea b 

 rises so high as to show that the boiler requires it. d e, is the oj)enino; corresponding to 

 the " man-hole " in larger boilers, by which the interior may be examined and cleaned. 

 j\ the cock in the #.eam-pipe, by which the communication between the food and the 

 boi er is opened or cut t>S. k\ the Hre-placo. h p, the cyliudrioal recei)tacle for the footi ; 

 ?t being the handle by wiiich, when the top^ has been remv.>ved, the cylinder is tilted up 

 fortha removal of its contents. 



Cure for Scours in Calves. — Take skimmed 

 milk and scald it ; let it cool and skim again ; put 

 a table spoonful of powdered resin for a dose three 

 times a day. — J. P. 



They act, when ) question. This would depend on a variety of cir- 

 cumstances. When food is cheap, it can not be 

 cooked with as much profit as when it commands a 

 higher price. With corn at 25 cents a bushel, and 

 hay at a proportionate price, we cannot believe, as 

 some assert, that cooking food for cattle can be pro- 

 fitable. Even in Great Britain, where cattle food 

 is usually much higher than in this country, it is 

 still a mooted question, after many years of trial, 

 whetlier food can be profitably cooked for cattle. 

 For swine, it is very generally considered profita- 

 ble in England, to steam roots, potatoes, &c. — 

 Grain is seldom either cooked for swine or cattle. 

 The usual practice in fattening hogs is to grind bar- 

 ley or peas, and mix the meal with tlie steamed 

 roots. Barley is often boiled whole for horses, and 

 we can confidently recommend the practice from 

 our own experience. 

 There can be no doubt that the process of cook- 



