Peocsebings of the Farmers' Club. 635 



Roots for Food. 

 Mr. H. Heberling, Mount Pleasant, Jefferson county, Oliio, writes : 

 " After an experience of more than thirty years feeding roots to cows 

 and stock ewes, I am convinced tliat' more than half the value of roots 

 (nature's substitute for green pastures) is almost entirely overlooked. 

 Observation has conducted me to the following conclusions : 1st. The 

 succulent and alterative properties of roots are essential to the health- 

 fulness of ruminating animals when excluded from green pastures ; 

 2d. In addition to the large amount of actual nutrition in roots, they 

 impart to meal, grain, hay, and other dry food, juicy and alterative 

 properties, that so modify the dry food as to render it doubly valuable 

 in sustaining the anunal economy; 3d. With one peck or more 

 chopped roots to each cow morning and evening, our cows are in as 

 good condition, and yield as much rich milk and butter during 

 winter and spring, as summer and autumn. I add the roots to the 

 other food to secure the best results ; -ith. Breeding from -iOO to 500 

 ewes, commencing to di'op the lambs about the middle of March, we 

 can raise as many lambs as ewes, without starving any for want of 

 milk ; otli. Cows are not subject to painful and protracted partitrition, 

 abortion, hollow-horn, wolf-staggers, or hollow-belly, which last, to 

 the shame of owners, takes off so many valuable cows in the spring 

 season ; 6th. In nine cases out of ten, the above diseases are merely 

 symptomatic, and orig-inate in deficient and unwholesome food, and 

 are traceable to dryness of the manifold (vulgarly called) followed by 

 ceasing to ruminate, and where the follicles of the stomach become 

 indurated and entirely inactive, death must follow. One acre of sugar 

 beets would save a herd of six cows from all the above troubles, and 

 owner from the losses of animals, butter and milk, and, in addition, 

 furnish as much food as ten acres of oats. Why do not dairymen 

 cease to feed those fermented, stimulating, unnatural slops, and feed 

 roots in winter I A poor, unhealthy cov,- cannot make healthy milk," 



DlSTEIBUTIOX OF loNA Ge^IPE YiXES. 



The chairman distributed 100 lona grape vines, the gift of 

 Mr. R. W. Holton, Haverstraw, X. Y., who considers this variety 

 the best grape now grown. On motiun, the thanks of the club were 

 passed to the donor. 



