54 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
TAN 25 
FROM PROF. A. J. COOK. 
The assertion that silage kills horses is 
strange indeed. I have fed it three years, 
and my horses are not only alive but very 
lively. My horses have never done so well 
as on silage, especially the mares raising 
fall colts. Both mothers and colts fairly 
glisten. My silage this winter is entirely 
sweet. Such silage is the salvation of the 
farmers. 
Lansing, Michigan. 
FROM H. S. WEEKS. 
I have had no experience in feeding silage 
except to cattle, but I venture the opinion 
that sweet silage from well-matured fod¬ 
der, fed in moderation, will not injure any 
animal, and I am confident that in every 
instance where injury or death among 
horses has occurred, as in the case of R. H. 
T., it has been the result of feeding sour or 
spoiled silage. No one ever heard of horses 
being injured by feeding on good sound 
fodder-corn cured in the shock, and silage 
made from ivell-matured corn does not differ 
materially from this except that it is softer 
and more digestible. But when it is made 
from green fodder, not properly treated in 
the silo, a chemical change takes place, 
producing a sharp acid which, while, as a 
rule, it does not affect cattle unfavorably, 
seems to make it unsafe as a feed for horses. 
As to moldy or rotten silage, which will be 
found to some extent in the best managed 
silo, I should not think of feeding it to any 
animal any more than I would give dam¬ 
aged food of any kind. It seems to me that 
it is sufficient proof that good, sweet silage 
is not injurious to horses, when it is well 
known that Dunham Bros., of Illinois, who 
conduct one of the largest horse-breeding 
establishments in the country, feed silage 
extensively to their valuable stock. 
Oconomowoc, Wis. 
FROM PROF. H. H. WING. 
We have fed silage for a long time and 
with great success to our milch cows. We 
have also fed it successfully to sheep, 
though when sheep are fed highly on grain 
we find that they do not eat the buts and 
cobs so closely as do cattle. We have never 
fed silage to horses in any amount or for 
any considerable length of time. Since the 
receipt of the R. N.-Y.’s inquiry we have 
commenced feeding a ration to one of our 
horses and will be sure to let the paper 
know if he dies. 
Cornell tJniversity. 
FROM A. L. CROSBY. 
The most surprising thing in R. H. T’s 
statement is Dr. Bridge’s diagnosis of the 
disease and its cause. When silage was 
first used in this country, it was made out 
of very immature corn, and was in conse¬ 
quence very acid and unfit for feed both 
before and after it was put in the silo. 
Quite a considerable number of deaths of 
horses were reported as the result of feed¬ 
ing this sour silage, and I have no doubt 
that was the cause; but that silage, as 
now made, mixed with dry fodder in the 
proportions fed by R. H. T., killed his 
horses I do not believe, unless there was 
something in the silage besides well-grown 
corn. 
I have fed silage to horses only once, 
and then only to see if they would eat it. 
My only reason for not feeding it regularly 
was that I had not enough for both horses 
and cows ; but I should not hesitate to feed 
it if I had it. It is well known that Mr. 
Dunham, the horse breeder, fed silage to 
his breeding stock last winter and no bad 
results followed its use. Now, if Dr. 
Bridge is so positive that silage killed 
R. H. T.’s horses, he ought to be able to 
propose a reasonable theory as to how it 
did it. The doctor’s prophecy that “ in con¬ 
sequence of the past rainy season and the 
general prevalence of mold in hay and 
grain, a large proportion of horses will be 
lost,” also needs an explanation as to how 
“ mold” kills horses, and why it does not 
kill other animals, man not excepted. 
Mold is a growth found, under favorable 
conditions, oil almost all kinds of food of 
man and beast; but its deadly effects have 
not hitherto been dreaded. Whether the 
past very rainy season developed a new 
species of poisonous mold is yet unknown ; 
but it hardly seems plausible to suppose 
that it has to such an extent that a ration 
only four-ninths of which was silage, si ould 
kill horses. R. H. T. should send a sample 
of his silage to the State Experiment 
Station. 
Catonsville, Md. 
FROM G. P. II. 
In reading an article on silage in a late 
R. N.-Y. it occurred to me, as I have had 
some experience in feeding horses, to give 
R. H. T. the benefit of my knowledge on 
the subject of feeding silage to horse*. I 
feed my horses of mature age, when work¬ 
ing, on grain in the proportion of one- 
seventh wheat, one-seventh buckwheat, 
two-sevenths corn and three-sevenths oats. 
I also feed them good, bright hay and a 
slight portion of sulphur during the spring 
months. In feeding silage to horses I was 
not at all successful and I abandoned the 
practice entirely. To the colts I feed equal 
portions of wheat and oats ground together. 
After trials of many different methods of 
feeding horses, I adopted this plan and find 
that the animals thrive better on this food 
than on any other. 
Peru, N. Y. 
FROM A. J. COE. 
I have had some experience which may 
throw a little light on the subject. In 
February 1881, having plenty of silage for 
cattle and sheep and some cured corn¬ 
stalks upon which several horses and mules 
had thriven for two months (the fodder 
being fed uncut to the animals, in a yard,) 
and the work teams having little to do at 
that season, it seemed that a saving of hay 
might be made by feeding corn-stalks to 
them. Accordingly, some were cut in 
lengths of about one-third of an inch in the 
silage cutter and fed to s ! x mules and one 
horse. Within a week from the first feed¬ 
ing all were dead. They suffered greatly, 
were extremely thirsty but unable to swal¬ 
low anything. The veterinarian of the 
State Board of Agiiculture made an 
autopsy, but could not tell what was the 
cause of the trouble. Attributingit to that 
particular lot of corn-fodder instead of to 
cut corn-stalks in general, dry or siloed, I 
fed the next winter some excellent corn 
silage to a valuable mare and her weanling 
colt, and within a week both died, mani¬ 
festing precisely the same symptoms shown 
by those killed by the dry, cut corn-fodder. 
New Haven County, Conn. 
PRACTICAL RESULTS FROM STATE AID FOR 
FARMERS. 
C. E. C., Peruville.'N.Y.—M y business 
takes me among the farmers of Tompkins, 
Cortland and Cayuga Counties, N. Y. For 
sometime I could not see any evidence that 
the institutes were doing any good. The 
hard work of the able secretary and his asso¬ 
ciates seemed a failure, at first, for the reason 
that those who most needed the instruc¬ 
tions did not attend the meetings. This is 
the hardest thing to contend with at the 
present time. The farmer devoting his 
time to hard muscular labor which leaves 
him so tired that he has no inclina¬ 
tion to study, or even visit, becomes unac¬ 
customed to doing business. If he has any¬ 
thing to sell—from a notion he has that 
necessity compels him to get back to work 
as soon as possible—he accepts any price 
offered by the local speculator and hurries 
back to work. But few know of any way 
ot making money except by muscular work. 
Almost any day this winter in the streets 
of Cortland can be seen farmers driving in 
to town with the season’s make of butter 
that will sell at the buyer’s price, because 
that is the only way they know of to sell it. 
The buyer knows their lack of knowledge 
of outside markets, and makes his own 
price. The products of some farmsare sold 
for a third more than those of others bring. 
Such sales as the latter save more money 
than the muscular farmer can clear in a 
year. The farmer isolates himself too 
much for profit. The constantly increasing 
attendance, and the prominence given by 
the papers to the themes presented at in¬ 
stitute meetings show that the work is 
breaking the crust of isolation and leading 
the farmer to seek knowledge of methods 
unknown to those who follow in grandpa’s 
ways; and leading him to unite with 
others to better his condition. 
A stone dropped into a pond of still water 
starts a wave which extends in all direc¬ 
tions, spreading out until the whole surface 
is affected. Some of the hints given at the 
institutes, put in practice by a good far¬ 
mer, have attracted attention,and have been 
put in practice by the neighbors until the 
whole section has been benefited. The 
point from which a circle of influence is 
extending is often found in an unexpected 
place. At one place, 10 miles from any 
railroad, and where nothing is ever ex¬ 
pected from the inhabitants, I found a 
cheap, practical silo, and the prejudice 
against silage was killed. The interest in 
dairying was revived, and many will attend 
the institute this winter for the first time. 
This result is credited to the Cortland 
meeting. At another place I found feeding 
tables posted in the barn, the stock sleek, 
and the owner said : “ My butter yield has 
increased wonderfully without increased 
cost, and I learned how to do it at the Ith¬ 
aca session.” A lady said to me: “We 
never had any strawberries until husband 
attended the institute and learned how 
easy it was to grow them. He has plant¬ 
ed all kinds of fruit. I am glad he went; 
he is better-natured when he has fruit to 
eat.” Here are health, happiness and grat¬ 
ified tastes in exchange for a day’s time. 
One farmer writes me: “From the infor¬ 
mation I received and put in practice, from 
the paper, ‘ Potatoes for Profit,’ I lessened 
the cost of production $10 per acre. I am 
850 ahead for two days’ time spent at the 
institute.” Some families who are now reg¬ 
ular readers of a good agricultural paper, 
never had a copy in the house until induced 
to subscribe at the Auburn institute. 
At one recent meeting over 80 subscrip¬ 
tions were taken for strictly farm papers. 
Who can estimate the value of the leaven 
they will put into life on the farm and in 
the home? One sentence in an address 
arrested the attention of a keen observer 
and was acted upon. A yield of 60 bushels 
per acre, worth 130, which gave an aggre¬ 
gate profit of 8300, or more than enough to 
pay the hired help for the whole season, 
was the direct result of a change of seed 
potatoes. This was the sentence: “Of all 
classes of vegetables some varieties invari¬ 
ably yield more than others.” From re¬ 
marks made by Prof. Roberts at the butter 
conference, the farmers of our section com¬ 
bined and saved 84 per ton by ordering 
bran by the car load. In a short time the 
millers lowered their prices and 8500 have 
been saved to the feeders of this section. 
Many farmers after hearing the discussion 
in regard to cooperative mutual fire associa¬ 
tions have joined them, thus reducing the 
cost of insurance one-half. “Why do you, 
farmers, pay some man 850,000 to figure as 
president of a stock company?” says Prof. 
Roberts. One farmer was urged to go and 
take his son to an institute, but he would 
not, saying that he could not afford the 
board bill. After much urging he let 
“Jim” go. From his experience at home 
Jim had about made up his mind to leave 
the “old man” and go West, and had his 
plans been carried out, he would to-day be 
some one’s reckless hired man in the Far 
West. After seeing that farming was Dot 
confined to the ignorant and ragged and 
hearing the plans cf those who were success¬ 
ful, he became interested. 
Little things sometimes turn the current 
of thought in another direction and time 
alone reveals the result. He returned 
home, prevailed on his father to rent him 
some land, built a poultry house, raised his 
own grain and chickens, subscribed for 
papers and spends his evenings reading 
them. He has taken a turn that astonishes 
“ the natives ” and his old chums speak of 
him as “dead” for he has “gone from 
them.” He is, to-day, a man worth the 
whole cost of the Ithaca session. After 
listening to the essays and practical teach¬ 
ing of one of these meetings, it does not 
seem as if any defense of this method of 
benefiting the farmers is needed; but some 
who do not attend or who are not inter¬ 
ested in agriculture are grumbling at the 
appropriations and we should claim re¬ 
sults and be able to show them. A man’s 
future is sometimes made or marred by a 
word. Neglect no opportunity to teach the 
young a love of Nature. There is no other 
way in which so many can be taught, at so 
small an expense as by a farmer’s institute. 
“ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold 
in pictures of silver.” 
OAT-MEAL AND BAKED BEANS. 
“ Jean,” Cobleskill, N. Y.—It is really 
not quite fair of Dr. Hoskins to class oat¬ 
meal with pork and beans—as he has done 
in a late issue of the R. N.-Y.—and to con¬ 
demn it so unsparingly. My observations 
taken in New York State among country 
people who never eat oat-meal and city peo¬ 
ple who do, show that as many sallow 
faces are found among the former as among 
the latter, and they are due, I think, in 
great degree to the same causes—too much 
greasy food, lack of out-door exercise, and 
bad ventilation of their houses. That 
about out door exercise is not a slip of the 
pen ; for many country people take almost 
no out-of-door exercise, especially in winter, 
and one large class of sinners in this re¬ 
spect is found among farmers’ wives and 
daughters. Both beans and oat-meal 
properly cooked without contamination of 
pork, and properly eaten I contend are 
healthful articles of food for many people. 
As to oat-meal requiring a strong stomach 
for its digestion, my personal experience is 
that when my stomach was so weakened 
by over-work and improper food as to be 
able to take no medicine, or even the so- 
called simple foods, a persistent diet of oat¬ 
meal and pure cream for many months re¬ 
stored it in great measure to its normal 
tone, and literally cured me of constipa¬ 
tion. Moreover, my friends congratulate 
me on my improved appearance, saying 
that dyspepsia must agree with me, since 
I have so much more color and flesh than I 
had formerly. It may be needless to say 
that I came from the land of Scott and 
Burns. 
R. N.-Y. The writer eats oat-meal every 
morning—a good-sized bowl half-filled— 
and eats baked beans at least three times a 
week. Nobody within his acquaintance 
enjoys better general health. The family 
of four grown people make at least half 
their breakfast on oat-meal at a cost of four 
cents per day—not including milk or cream 
which are produced on the farm, from our 
own grain and hay. Farmers would find it 
greatly to their advantage to eat more oat¬ 
meal, if the experience of the writer is 
worth anything. A lumber-camp cook in 
northern Michigan, where the writer 
worked one winter, tried the experiment of 
cooking oat-meal for breakfast. It was 
eaten with molasses and so great was the 
demand for it that the quantity of salt 
pork and beef was cut down at least 25 per 
cent. The men were never in better gen¬ 
eral health and were never better satisfied 
with their food. 
TWO NOTES. 
H. W. S., OAKLAND, Ohio.—I was struck 
with two little editorials in the issue of the 
R. N.-Y. for December 28. One referred to 
reading political and agricultural journals. 
I think both of the correspondents are 
right. Many farmers read only the agri¬ 
cultural papers and vote with their party 
without the slightest consideration for their 
own interest or how any measure which 
they thus indorse will affect them. On the 
other hand, there are many others who 
never look at an agricultural paper, but 
read only those of their own party faith. 
I think the latter are worse than the form¬ 
er, but I believe that if the agricultural 
journals would introduce a certain amount 
of political discussion into their columns 
particularly that relating to political econ¬ 
omy, and how such acts as the tariff law 
and trust combines affect the farming com¬ 
munity it would help matters, and would 
ultimately lead people to consider their 
own interests occasionally. The other arti¬ 
cle was about the liquor traffic. Words are 
not strong enough to be used in condemna¬ 
tion of that iniquity, but that money is 
thoroughly distributed over the country 
and the bulk of it returns immediately into 
circulation. I believe the money that 
flows into the coffers of the great trust 
companies does infinitely more damage to 
business, and is more likely to c r use “ hard 
times” than that which goes into the 
saloons. 
R. N.-Y.—We do not fully agree with 
this last statement. Reasons for this dis¬ 
agreement will be given later. 
Care of Live Stock . —Prof. W. A. Henry 
gives some sound advice to the readers of 
the Breeder’s Gazette. A warm bed is a 
first necessity for swine and they should not 
be crowded into small sleeping apartments. 
Variety of food is very essential in pig¬ 
feeding; because a fattening steer will 
show excellent results on shock corn alone, 
and because mature hogs will gain rapidly 
for six or eight weeks on ear corn alone, we 
should not infer that growing pigs and 
brood sows can likewise subsist on such a 
restricted diet. We yet find many farmers 
persisting in cooking feed in spite of the 
adverse decisions of the experimentstations. 
These men point to their own pens for evi¬ 
dences of the success of cooking feed. A 
discriminating examination will reveal the 
fact that farmers who are willing to cook 
feed for their hogs have that patience and 
adaptation to their vocation which would 
bring success were they never to feed a 
pound of cooked feed in their lives. These 
men often confound giving warm feed, with 
giving cooked feed, which is quite another 
question. Such men, after dispensing a 
generous feed take deep satisfaction in 
leaning over the railing of a pig-sty and 
witness with delight the rapid disappear¬ 
ance of food from the trough, aud the 
grunt of a satisfied porker is music to their 
ears. He whose boot heel forces the swine’s 
snouts from the swill trough and who 
dumps a basket of corn on a dirty feeding 
