206 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 18, 1828. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 

 BOSTON, FllIDAY, JA^. 18, 1828. 



ON FEI-.DING ANDF.'\TTENING CATTLE. 

 An Hniiiial when in a state of rearing may be 

 considered as a vestel open at both ends, in which 

 the supply and the waste bring nearly equal it 

 can nevur be filled ;' fattening an iinimal may be 

 consiiiered jxk an attempt to fill the vessel, and 

 '.vhii'h can only be done by excess of snpply- The 

 vaste beiiig the same f.s before, this excess must 

 be great ; if it is not so, the vessel inay be ren- j 

 dcred fuller than before witlioul ever becoming 

 full. All important hint might be taken from this i 

 .simile by many farmers, who know little of the | 

 difference of feeding and fattening. We have j 

 known cattle, sheep, and swine kept for months, 

 and fed w itii a view to falteising them, without | 

 their gaining a pound of meat. — Encij. of Agri. 



With regard to the proper age of cattle for fat- \ 

 tening, Mr. Lawrence observes, that, "animals! 

 arrived at their f 11 age, at least 'ull si, e, are 

 well known to be the most proper .speedily to take 

 on fat, since nature is not then impeded by a dou- 

 ble process. Young animals of great substance, 

 snd well formed, will likewise fatten to good pro- 

 tit ; but they ^j re gener dly adapted to the grad 

 iial plan of gr.T mg, which is prolonged eighteen 

 months or two years. The grazier thus reap.-) the 

 profits of their natural growth or increase in 

 stature. There is another species of increase, 

 technically .styled growth ; it is the spread or ex- 

 tension of the muscular flesh in full aged animals, 

 of large hone and capacious frame. 



"Tallow is lormeil from the surplus nourishment 

 given to animals, beyond what is necessitry for 

 their mere physical development; whence it fol- 

 Jows, that tliotiO which have not obtained their 

 full growth, are fatted with difficulty, and only by 

 e.\traordinary mer.ns. Calves, for example, can 

 only be fatted by great quantities of railk ; to 

 whicli must often i'e added eggs, barley, or oat 

 ineal, or the Hour of beans or peas; and with all 

 this abundance and selection of food, they yield 

 little if any interior Cat or tallow. Whereas, oxen 

 nt six years of age, v. ith correspondent treatment, 

 jive large quantities of that article. Old cattle 

 are also, from loss of teeth, debility of stomach, 

 or other internal disorganization, difficult to fat- 

 ten. These fac'L.3 sufiiciently indicate what, on 

 this head, ought to be our practice ; to fallen lal- 

 Ue as suon after they had attained their growth as 

 possible. Oxea gcner.-lly attain their growth at 

 five or si.\' years, and .sheep and hogs at two. 



Loudon siiys, '-the age at which cattle are fat- 

 t-od, depends upon the mnnner in which they have 

 been reared ; npoi. the properties of the breed 

 with a regard to a priipensity to fatten earlier or 

 later in life ; and on tiio circumstances of their 

 being employed in breeding, in labor, for the 

 dairy, oi reared solely for the butcher. In the 

 latter case, the most improved breeds are fit for 

 the shambles when about three years old, and 

 very few of any large breed are kept more than 

 a year longer. As to cows and to working oxen, 

 the age of fatting must be necessarily more inde- 

 finite ; in most Jnstar^ces, the latter arc put up to 

 feed iiiter working three years, or in tlic seventh 

 or eiglilh year of their age. In general it. may be 

 said, that the small breeds of cattle arc fattened 

 on pastures, though .sometimes finished off on a 

 Tow weeks' turniiis." 



It has been often asserle.i, and probably it is 

 true, that it is not profitable, generally speaking, 

 to fatten cattle on any kind of grain. 1 awrence 

 asserts, that, "corn (by which is meant oats, bar- 

 ley, peas, beans, wheat, &c.) cannot be used in 

 the fattening of bullocks and sheep, except in 

 seasons ol superabundant plenty.'' Even Indian 

 corn is often too costly a species of food to be 

 used solely or chiefly for tiie protiiable fepding or 

 fattening of cattle, and grass h iv. or roots are 

 snid to be the materials which true economy re- 

 quires. 



Though foo I shonl I be given to fatting animals 

 in abundance, it ought not to be given to such e,\'- 

 cess as to cloy their appetite. Intervals of rest- 

 in.' and exercise must be alloved according to 

 circumstances. Even animals grazing on a rich 

 pasture, have been found to thrive fister when 

 removed from it once a day, and either folded or 

 put in an inferior pasture for two or three hours. 

 Stall-fed rattle and swine will have their flesh im- 

 proved in flavor, by being turned out into a yard 

 or field 01 ce a day ; and many find that they feed 

 better, and produce better flavored moat, when 

 kept loose under warm sheds or hammel-j, one or 

 two in a division. Coarse food may be first giv- 

 en to feeding animals; and as they acquire flesh, 

 tliat which is of more solid and substantial quali- 

 ty. In general, it may be observed, that if the 

 digestive powers of the animal are in a sound 

 state, the more food he eats, the sooner will the 

 desired result be obtainei^ ; a very moderate quan- 

 tity beyond sulficioncy, conslitute.s abundance; — 

 but by withholdinir this additional quantity, an 

 animal, especially if young, may go on eating for 

 several years without ever attaining to fatness. — 

 Properly treated, a well fed ox, of moderate size, 

 will feed (become fat) on a rich pasture, in from 

 four to six months ; and in stalls, or covered pens, 

 with green or steamed food in a shorter period. 



"In young growing animals the powers of di- 

 gestion are so great, that they require food which 

 is less rich, than such as are of m.ittire age. — 

 Tiiey also require more exercise. If rich food is 

 supplied in liberal quantities, and exercise with- 

 held, diseases are generated, the first of which 

 may be excessive fatness: growth is impeded by 

 very rich food, for experience shows, that the 

 coarsest fed animals liave the largest bones. — 

 I omnion sense will suggest the propriety of pre- 

 ferring a medium course between very rich and 

 very poor nutriment." — Loudon. , ■ 



j An able writer in treating this subject observes, 

 ;"with respect to feeding, the first rule is to give 

 little at a lime and often ; because experience has 

 siiown that aniuials that eat inucii in a short time, 

 do not fatten so well as those which eat less, but 

 more slowly aiid frequently. The second rule, is 

 to begin the course with cabbages and turnips ; 

 then to employ carrots and potatoes, and lastly, 

 Indian, oats, or barley meal.'' 



j It is asserted, that beef fattened on oil cake, 

 iraw potatoes, &c. will not be so firm, nor so pala- 

 1 table, as that which is lattcncd on Indian corn, or 

 I other grain, if that be true, (and it probably is) 

 i it vvould be well to commence with potatoes or 

 j other coarse aliment, give the animals richer focj 

 as they increase in fatness, and finish the course 

 I with the richest and most nutritive. In other 

 [ words, It is well to feed with the coarser, and fut- 

 j ten with the finer food. But in every part of the 

 1 course, occasional changes of diet, will have a 

 tendency to prevent, the appetite from being pal- 



led, and cause the animal to thrive faster than it 

 would even on the richest food without variety. 



It would prove very useful to try experiments 

 on this subject, ami publish their results. Let a 

 number of cuttle of a similar or the same breed, 

 age, propensity to fatten, as ascertained by hand- 

 ling, &c. &.C. be put to fatten at the same time. 

 Let one be fed entirely on potatoes, raw ; a sec- 

 ond un tne same root, steamed or boiled ; a third 

 tie made one hi If or two thirds fat on potatoes, 

 and his fattening completed with Indian corn; a 

 fourth be fatted on Indian corn, or corn meal ; a 

 fifth be fatted with a mixture uf all these kinds of 

 food, give 1 together in the same mess, or m dif- 

 ferefil messe.s. The first feed in the morning 

 for the last mentioned bullock, might he a small 

 quantity of potatoes, or turnips, the secoud ruta 

 baga, or mangel wurt/el, or p.irsuips, which are 

 highly recommended. Then, as the last couise of 

 the day's feast, give Indian mea\, or other food — 

 the richest you have. It would be well, likewise, 

 to try the virtues of sweet apples, which would, 

 no doubt prove a valuable foo. for i-atlle. The 

 most important object of such e.xperiuients, how- 

 ever, would be to ascertain whether the beef of 

 catipe fattened on potatoes, or other roots, raw or 

 steamed, is equal in quntiui to that which is fat- 

 tened on Indian corn. If not, whether an ox may 

 not be made nearly fat enough for profit on roots; 

 his fattening completed on corn, and his flesh bo 

 as good as if he had been fattened wholly on corn. 

 AnJ if an ox partly fatted on roots, and his fatten- 

 ing completed on corn, gives as good beef as one 

 wholly fed on corn, the question arises, how long 

 a lime will it require to give the beef its good 

 quality arising from the corn .' We know, as re- 

 spects swine, that farmers will make the'm partly 

 fat on any thing which they will devour, and then 

 feed them for some time before tlipy are' k-ijied 

 with Indian corn or meal, to "/mca'eii the flish"^ts . 

 tliey express it. And perhaps the "same proems' 

 will answer as well for beef cattle. Wc have 

 heard it asserted that the red or La Plata potatoc, 

 given raw to swine makes as good porkasithaf 

 which is corn fed. Others, say that any kind of 

 potatoe, if steamed or boiled, will make as good 

 pork as can be made of corn. If this be true of 

 pork, why not of beef ? 



(To be continued.) 



Extraordinary — The Charleston Patriot of the 

 4lh inst. says, our vegetable market this morning 

 contained Green Peas and Tomatos, which sold 

 at prices not higher than arc given at the natural 



seasons. 



Hemp. — Governor Clinton, in his recent message 

 to the New York Legislature, recommends the 

 cultivation of hemp and flax. He says, "it is the 

 opinion of good judges, if this interest is properly 

 io.stered, tnat iw/tve thousand ions of hemp, worth 



-'.ti()0,(l(iO, may be annually rai.sed in that State ; 

 and, that within thirty years, the exportationof 

 that article frcm the United States, will be equiv- 

 alent in value u, those of cotton" 



Indian t ;. . _/«. t/.e Ear ^che Take a piece 



of the lean of mutton, about the size of a large 

 ■valnut ; put it into the fire and burn it for some 

 time, till it is reduced tilmost to a cinder ; Jheti 

 I ut It into n piece of clean rag, and squeeze it 

 ■mtil some moi.'sfurc is expressed, which must be 

 .Topped into the ear as hot as the patient can 

 bear it. 



