INFLUENCE OF FOOD ON MILCH STOCK. 
There is no doubt that very great losses 
are sustained, from year to year, in the pro¬ 
duction of milk on account of the character 
of food which cows are fed. When extra 
food is to be given to cows to promote an 
increased flow of milk, the choice should be 
governed by some settled principle, and not 
be a matter of guess-work, as is too frequent¬ 
ly the case. In our experiments for Increas¬ 
ing the flow of milk, wo early learned the 
fact that grains rich in nitrogen gave better 
returns than those having less nitrogen and 
a larger proportion of starch and oil. Thus, 
for instance, ground oats, whe.aten bran, pea 
meal, &a, produced better results than corn 
meal or other mixtures of meal composed 
largely of starch, and which were poor in 
nitrogen. Bearing upon tliis question, we 
find some practical rules for the use of fod¬ 
der presented by Professor T. von Goh ken, 
before the National Convention of German 
agriculturists, chemists, physiologists ami di¬ 
rectors of the experimental stations held in 
1871. 
The Professor says :—“ In iixing such rules 
it is necessary to know, First, the general 
principles on which the desired results in 
feeding stock depend ; Second, the most con¬ 
venient means of attaining these results. 
Other things being equal, every method may 
be recommended which makes fodder more 
palatable and diminishes the tax on the di¬ 
gestive organs. It is necessary to distinguish 
between food designed to sustain the exist¬ 
ing condition of the animal and that designed 
in addition, to lay on flesh, produce milk, 
supply the demands of labor, increase, &e. 
With regard to the former kind, the farmer 
may assume, as shown by the experiments 
of WenDK, that the amount of nourishment 
needed for 100 pounds of live weight is from 
one-half to one pound of nitrogenous food, 
and from seven to eight pounds of food free 
from nitrogen or of the same composition as 
. starch. 
“ For producing flesh, an increase of food 
in substances not containing nitrogen is need¬ 
ed. Albumen must be furnished, and tliis 
can be done to the best advantage when the 
effect of oxygen in the circulation is reduced 
to its minimum, a result sc ured by the use 
of hydro carbons, such as oils and oily grains, 
which are far cheaper than albuminoids. 
“ For producing fat, the farmer should use 
noil-nitrogenous foods, because they are the 
cheapest. Fats can be produced from other 
fats, from hydrocarbons and from albumi¬ 
nates ; of these three ways, practical agri¬ 
culturists will choose the least expensive. 
“For producing milk, if quantity rather 
than quality is aimed at, the lacteal glands 
must be stimulated to their greatest, activity, 
and for this purpose food rich in nitrogen is 
needed ; and since storing up fat is inconsist¬ 
ent with the activity of the superficial 
glands, to which the udder belongs, foods 
which contain a large amount of hydro-car¬ 
bon must be- avoided.’' 
The experiments of HorkefaLL in the use 
of bean meal, a substance rich in nitrogen, 
furnish conclusive evidence of the value of 
this kind of food for the production of milk. 
He attached, very justly, the greatest im¬ 
portance to maintaining the condition of his 
cows giving a large yield of milk, and he 
states that he was enabled by the addition 
of bean meal to avert the loss of condition in 
those giving 16 to 18 quarts per day, whilst 
on those giving a leis yield, and in health, he 
invariably effected an improvement. And 
he infers from his experiments—long and 
carefully conducted—that albuminous mat¬ 
ter is the most essential element in the food 
of milch cows, and that any deficiency in the 
supply of this will be attended with loss of 
condition and a consequent diminution in the 
quality of milk. 
Professor von GOHREN makes some sugges¬ 
tions in regard to raising stock for the dairy 
which we do not remember to have seen 
brought forward by other writers. It is that 
Calves which are allowed to suckle for a long 
time, or which are reared on an abundance 
of new milk do not, as a rule, make the best 
cows for the dairy. On the other hand, 
young cattle intended for fattening should 
be brought forward as fast as possible, and 
to attain this end milk and grain must, be 
fed. The development of the chest and vis¬ 
cera, he says, will be retarded by want of 
exercise and pure air, since this renders the 
labor of the lungs less. The development of 
the fourth stomach is promoted by food that 
is easily digested and full of fat. “ The oppo¬ 
site rule should be observed with young cat¬ 
tle intended for milk , The animal should be 
—^ 
. . ii 
MOOBE’S BUBAL NEW-VOBKEB. 
kept rather thin, and hence, should not bo 
allowed to suckle too long. Skimmed milk, 
hay tea, Ac., is much better food for calves 
intended for the dairy, as well as much 
cheaper than the milk of the dam.’’ 
Does not this explain, in part, the reason 
why some, of our thoroughbred Short-Horns, 
though descended from good milking stock, 
are inferior for milk, and is not the practice 
with some breeders ol‘ Ayrshires in pushing 
the forcing system of the young animal pre- 
judical to its future milking qualities f Some 
of the best milkers wc have ever owned have 
been raised (after the age of 10 days) on 
skimmed milk and whey, and in recalling 
our experience in this direction, we are in¬ 
clined to lilink there may bo more truth in 
the Professor’s statement than would appear 
at first thought to most dairymen. If the 
Professor’s theory be true, it is an important 
fact for dairymen and the breeders of dairy 
stock to understand. The wide development 
of the dairy interest in this country is direct¬ 
ing much attention to those breeds of cattle 
noted for milking qualities, and to the breed 
ingof good cows for the dairy. If fond and 
the manner of rearing the calf has so import¬ 
ant a bearing upon the milking capacity of 
the animal, it is well that the facts be gener¬ 
ally known, lost we defeat the great object 
sought, in our zeal to get the best results by 
extra feeding. 
-- 
VEGETABLE MILK. 
A correspondent makes inquiry concern¬ 
ing the cow trees of South America, and 
“ Would like to know whether the milk of 
these trees is similar in character to that of 
animal milk, and whether it can be used for 
making butter and cheese. Should tliis be 
so,” he thinks, “the time is not far distant 
when the product oou be utilized, and may, 
even now, offer a good field for speculation.” 
The milk of the cow tree has not, as yet, 
come under our observation, and what little 
knowledge we have, of it is from accounts 
given by travelers. According to well-au¬ 
thenticated statements, the juices of certain 
trees found in South America resemble, both 
ill color and consistency, the milk of animals. 
There are some kinds of trees that yield a 
milky fluid which is poisonous, while that of 
others is wholesome and nutritious ; and, 
from the fact that the latter is used by the 
natives of the country as on article of human 
food, we suppose oomos the name of the so- 
called cow tree. 
We do not know that any analysis has been 
made of this vegetable milk ; at least, ive 
have none at hand, and therefore cannot 
give its constituents. Nor can we find any 
record of experiments showing that either 
butter or cheese has been made from such 
milk. Our impression is that tliis vegetable 
milk has no qualities in common with ani¬ 
mal milk other than a certain resemblance 
in color and consistency. Of this, however, 
we are not quite certain, but wc are confi¬ 
dent in the opinion that it cannot be used 
successfully in the manufacture of dairy 
goods. 
The following, by Mr. Jackson, curator of 
the Museum at Kew, England, in a recent 
number of the Pharmaceutical Journal, may 
be of interest in this connection. He says : 
“The presence of milky juices in plants is 
not uncommon ; indeed, it is a character of 
many natural orders. In the numerous plants 
which yield caoutchouc, (or India rubber,) 
the juice, as it flows from the treo, is milky 
white, becoming colored on exposure to the 
air, or in the process of solidifying. The 
juices of some of the milk-yielding trees, 
however, do not solidify, and they are used 
as an article of food. Several of these trees, 
from the fact of their yielding wholesome 
milks, are known as cow trees. In South 
America, which is the headquarters of these 
cow trees, they are called Palo do vaca, or Ar- 
bol do lechc. Perhaps the best known of these 
trees is one growing in the largo forests on 
the mountains about Cariaco, and in other 
parts of the sea coast of Venezuela. It forms 
a tree frequently over 400 feet high, and often 
running to a htght of 60 or 70 feet before 
branching. 
The milk which is obtained by making in¬ 
cisions in the trunk, is said to have a very 
agreeable taste, somewhat resembling that 
of sweet cream, and a slight balsamic odor ; 
the only unpleasant feature about it is that 
it is somewhat glutinous ; but it is very nour¬ 
ishing and perfectly wholesome. Humboldt 
says;—“Wo drank considerable quantities 
of it the evening before we went to bed and 
very early iu the morning, without feeling 
the least injurious effect. The negroes and 
the free people who work in the plantations, 
drink it, dipping into it their bread and maize 
or cassava. The major-domo of the farm 
told us that the negroes grow sensibly fatter 
during the season when the Palo de vaca fur¬ 
nishes them with most milk. This juice, ex¬ 
posed to the air, presents at its surface—per¬ 
haps in consequence of the atmospheric oxy¬ 
gen—membranes of a strongly annualized 
substance, yellowish, stringy, and resembling 
a cheesy substance. Like animal milk. it. 
turns sour and putrefies after a few days' ex¬ 
posure to the atmosphere. It has been found 
to contain more than JO per cent, of gela¬ 
tin.” 
The Hyo-Hya, or cow tree, of British 0uin- 
en, (Tabemcrmontana utills, Aun.,) like¬ 
wise yields a milky juice, which is perfectly 
bland and wholesome, though the general 
characters of the orde.r are poisonous and 
acrid. The tree is tapped to obtain the milk. 
The milk or cow tree of Para, known as the 
Mossaran duba, has been referred to Memu- 
sops data, Ai-lem ; but its determination is 
doubtful, though there is no question of its 
belonging to the natural order Sapotaceu-. 
The milk, which flows slowly from the 
wounded bark, resembles good cream in con 
sistenoe, but is said to be too viscid to be a 
safe article of food.” 
Mr. Jackson refers to another tree, the 
Clutu'n gaUe-lodendron of Disnaux. This 
tree has :t thick bark with rough tubercles, 
and is a native of Venezuela. Its milk, be¬ 
sides its general utility, is a valuable reme¬ 
dial agent In dysentery. Mr. E. B. White 
of Medellin, says:—“For upwards of two 
years 1 saw it constantly used amougst the 
workmen employed on tiu Buena Ventura 
R oad, Pad lie Coast, and iu the most un¬ 
healthy climate. We had at times from 500 
to 701) men employed, and out of the number¬ 
less cases of severe dyseutc ry, 1 never know 
a fatal case, and I have seen cures effected 
when the cases had gone so. far as to seem 
hopeless.” 
That trees are found yielding a fluid so 
closely resembling milk as that above de¬ 
scribed, is one of the most remarkable fea¬ 
tures of the vegetable world. They doubt¬ 
less furnish an important service to the in 
habitants of the country where they grow ; 
but whether this vegetable milk lain, in any 
form, be made an article of commerce, from 
which any considerable profits are to be de¬ 
rived, is a quest’on concerning which we 
have serious doubts. 
TEXAS CATTLE 
AND THEIR PROBABLE FUTURE INFLUENCE UPON THE 
CATTLE BUSINESS. 
Tiik cattle business of the country has been 
greatly embarrassed l,y the number of Texas 
cattle forced upon the market since the 
termination of the war. The trade in cattle 
has been mieei'l.ii.in and often imrei Mine na¬ 
tive; and even now intelligent men engaged 
in the business feel that there is no safety iu 
extensive operations, If the market from 
lime to time is to bo over-run with immense 
herds of Texas cattlo. 
Heretofore dealers found but little trouble 
in understanding the probable demand and 
supply. When, however, Texas cattle wore 
driven into our Western States, at a very 
small cost per head, and woro there fattened 
to supply the Eastern markets, our cattle 
men found themselves wholly unable to esti¬ 
mate the probable supply from that State. 
Hence it became important that move accu¬ 
rate information in reference to the number 
and condition of the catt le in Texas should 
be ascertained. To obtain the most reliable 
testimony upon the subject, the Agriculture 1 
Department at Washington lias recently 
taken steps to obtain all the information 
available in reference to the relative number 
of Texas cattle and condition* with other 
facts connected with the subject, 80 that 
cattle men in all parts of the country migh t 
be able to judge understanding!/. 
For the information of those interested, T 
will give a brief statement of some of the 
points made by the correspondents of the 
Department: 
t. The testimony is conclusive that the 
number of cattle in Texas has largely de¬ 
creased within the last few years, and their 
number must continue to rapidly decrease. 
From data furnished and given in the report 
of the Department, the aggregate number 
has fallen off one-third. Not only is that the 
fact, but there is not now over three-fifths of 
the number of milch cows that were report¬ 
ed in 1870. 
3. This decrease hay resulted, in part, from 
the exportation ol' cattle and from the want 
of care and food. In some counties it is e& 
timated that one half of the stock died from 
cold and starvation during the last fall and 
winter. One correspondent writes “ that 
the mortality of cattle during the winters of 
1871 and L872 has been without a parallel.” 
3. The testimony indicates clearly that the 
business of cattle raising hi Texas is not as 
remunerative as heretofore. In Hunt county 
a gentleman states that “ the raising of cattlo 
in this county is rapidly decreasing, owing, 
first, to the failure of range, the settling up 
of the county and the disposition of owners 
to turn their attention to agricultural pur¬ 
suits.” Another says :—“ Grass is giving out 
and stock raising falling off thirty-five per ,, 
cent yearly; instead, agricultural interests 
are advancing.” A correspondent from an¬ 
other county says : — " Bub the old pro¬ 
gramme must now be changed. Our wild 
grass is rapidly giving way, and as yet we 
have no tame grass that we can rely upon.” 
And another corroborates the foregoing by 
saying:—“The whole county is now eaten 
out by wandering herds of cattle and horses, 
and where beautiful grass formerly grew 
nothing but weeds can be seen.” 
4. Texas cattle are deteriorating. One of 
the correspondents states that their cattle do 
not attain the same size at the same age they 
once did. Tills statement would seem to be 
perfectly reliable when we consider the fall¬ 
ing off of the grass upon which they have to 
rely exclusively, and when Texas men affirm 
“that it takes, on an average, ten of our 
cows to give a water-bucket of milk—poor 
at that.” 
Let our cattle raisers who reside in the 
Middle and Western States, and who have 
been discouraged in their business by the in¬ 
troduction of the immense herd-; of Texas 
cattle into our markets, take courage and re¬ 
new their offorts in their own favorite .em¬ 
ployment. The facts at:ted above are furn¬ 
ished by reliable men, residents in the various 
counties from which they write. The great¬ 
ly decreased number of cattle now in Texas, 
the failure of their wide and heretofore valu¬ 
able range, the want of means to protect and 
oare for their stock and its tendency not only 
to deterioration but barrenness, show very 
clearly that Texas cattle have done us all the 
injury they can, and that hereafter no serious 
disadvantages will be done by their numbers 
to the regular business of the careful stock 
breeder or shipper. j. m. m. 
Butler Co., O. 
■- - 
SHORT-HORN SALES. 
The Seymour Sale in Ohio.— R. R. Sey¬ 
mour, a veteran breeder of Ross Co., O., dis¬ 
posed of his liue herd at auction July 34, at 
Chillicothe. There were about 300 strangers 
in attendance, The aggregate sales amount 
to about $30,000, about 100 animals being dis¬ 
posed of ; 41 cows brought prices rar ging 
from $50 to $1,275 each, but one cow bring¬ 
ing less than $100 ; Hi bulls were sold at prices 
ranging from #55 to 86,600 each ; the latter 
price was paid for “ Third Duke of Oneida,” 
bred by Wolcott A Campbell, New York 
Mills, New York, The purchaser was John 
Montgomery, Newark, O. w,? doubt if any 
larger price lias ever been jiaid for an Amer¬ 
ican bull. The purchasers of stock at thi» 
sale were A. >S. Scott, Seymour, Hi.; Claude 
Matthews, Clinton, hid.; Georoe Grimes, 
Bournevdle, 0.; J. O, B. Renick, Columbus, 
0.! Wb, A. Jones, Bourneville, O.; A. W. 
Seymour, Bainbridge, O.; S. C. Roberts, 
Washington, (),; F. G. SEYMOUR, Seymour, 
Ill.; J # amks PKRILL, Washington, O.; H. W. 
Sargent, Kkctou, 0.; J. S. Klrk. Washing¬ 
ton; O.; M. Dunlap, Chillicothe, O.; A. L. 
Ray, Saybrooke, Hi.; Wm. Fntiu:kin, King¬ 
ston, O.; John Montgomery, Newark, O.; 
Jacob Mace, Ross Co., O.; Nelson Dunlap, 
Kingston, 0.; Lincoln (!. D la.no, Chilli¬ 
cothe, O.; F. F. Parrott, Lyndon, O.; It. 
Pitzer, Washingtcn, O. Thus, it will be 
seen, the bulk of this herd remains in Ohio. 
The Second Qaddesby Short-Horn sale, the 
property of Edward 11. Cukeney, Gaddesby 
Hall, Leicestershire, Eng., came off early in 
July. There were present 3fX) to 500 of the 
largest graziers in England. The highest 
price realized for a single animal was for 
Twelfth Duchess of Geneva, red, calved April 
37, 1873, by the Ninth Duke of Geneva, (38- 
391.) dam Duchess of Geneva, by Baron of 
Oxford, (33371,) and bought by Sir W. Law- 
son, M. P., for 035 guineas. The lowest price 
paid for any cow was 60 guineas. The highest 
price paid for any of the bulls was 830 guin¬ 
eas for Third Duke of Gloucester, red, calved 
December, 1872, by Tenth Duke of Thorn- 
dale, (38458,) dam, Duchess of Airdrie, by 
Royal Oxford, (18774.1 and which was bought 
by Lord BjbOtivk. The lowest price paiafor 
a bull was43 guineas. The amount realized 
tor cows and neifers was £8,903, 5s., the aver¬ 
age price being £321 8s. fid. The total sales 
of bulls amounted to £1,314 12s.; average 
price, £187 Is. 6d. each. 
It 
J. 
~o-~ 
—TO. 
•xv~r 
A 
WO. 
I 
