VOL. XXXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., NOV. 14, 1896.
NO. 46
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Give   the   Feeding  Ration   of    Your
Dairy   and   State  Proportions  of
Each Kind of  Food--Time of
Feeding, "Watering, Etc.
lst Premium.—The feed for the dairy,
like anything else, should be changed as
often as possible, for I think that stock,
the same as people, get tired of one kind
of food all the time, and will do much
better if a change be made. But the
main standby for feed I think is chop
feed. I cut either fodder hay or sheaf
oats and put on about one gallon of good
wheat bran, or one-half gallon wheat
bran, one-half gallon corn meal, if I have
it for each cow. Have enough of the
roughness cut so as to haye about one-
half bushel of the mixture for each cow.
I think this makes a good feed. If I feed
bran alone I want about two-thirds of a
common wooden bucket full, scalded one
meal ahead for each cow. If corn meal
is the feed, one gallon apiece, treated like
the bran, makes a right good feed I think.
I don't care what the regular meal is I
aim to keep all the roughness they will
eat clean between meals, in their reach.
But the meals should be regular. With
me in winter they, are about 7 o'clock in
the morning and 4 in the evening. And
the milking should be as regular as the
feeding, for good success in dairying. As
io watering, when Tt'is favorableT turn
my cows out a few hours in the middle of
the day to sun themselves and take exercise, and as I have a wind mill and a 15
barrel galvanized steel tank in my barn
yard they can get water at their leisure.
If the weather is too bad I think it does
the cows harm to stand in the cold so
long. Then I turn them out of the
stables; let them go to water and get
them in right away. Salt regular as I
feed; put tne salt with the feed and mix
all together. I think this of as much importance as the feed. H. C. F.
Harrison Co.
2nd Premium. I have never kept any
account of the feed I have used, as I feed
several different kinds of feed during the
winter, changing it every week or two.
As I stated in one of my topics a week or
so ago I planted about four acres of Sto-
well's evergreen corn very thick, on purpose for my cattle. I cut it when tolerably green, and shocked it in small
shocks. When theylhave cured out well,
I haul and store them in the barn, corn
and all. I have a feed cutter, with which
I cut it about three-fourths of an inch in
length. I mix in a big box full of this cut
corn about one gallon of good ship stuff
for each cow, and I also add a tablespoonful of salt for each cow, and mix with
enough water to make the ship stuff stick
to the feed. I give each cow a big scoop
full, or in other words a half bushel of
this feed, three times a day with roughness, hay, oat straw or corn fodder. Some
times I cut sheaf oats and mix and feed
the same as above. I have about 300
bushels of oats in the sheaf I intend to
feed this way. I feed in the morning
about 5 or 6 o'clock,. at dinner between 11
and 12, and at night between 4 and 5. I
water them twice a day, at dinner and at
night before feeding. We have a steel
wind mill which pumps the water into a
steel tank in the barn yard.
Corydon. A Farmer.
bbview.
We should remember that a cow naturally gives milk purely to rearjofl-spring,
and we are coaxing nature to continue
her favors for our own special benefit
when we expect her to keep up a profit-
; able flow more than five or six months
after parturition.
This extra demand on the lacteal organs is encouraged by selection in breeding, better  and  more  regular  feed, by
protection from chilling winds or severe
cold and by regular milking habits. In
the wild state nature loads the animal
system with fat to carry over a time of
scant feed. The bear or 'possum and
wild hog, for example, get very fat on
fall fruits and grasses and come out of
winter thin. But we do not like a butter
cow to form the habit of laying on fat.
We demand that she shall put it all into
the pail. lam much pleased to see that
the system Of providing warm shelter
and regular and abundant food as mentioned by our correspondents is becoming generally recognized.
Many dairymen are providing water
troughs in the mangers and do not turn
cows in milk out at all in severe weather.
Some turn them into a covered barn
yard. Much prejudice was shown against
keeping them too close and the need of it
is perhaps more apparent in northern
latitudes. But the practice reminds me
of the method of poultrymen in growing
spring chicks for the New York market.
They are hatched by incubators and tied
on the perch where they are. fed and
watered, so as to crowd them to be just as
near a globe of fat as possible. To do
this they want no exercise, bnt perfect
rest and warmth. The food is well bal
anced and nearly all goes to blubber. I
have seen hogs in a pen 10 feet square
fed house slop and corn, a well balanced
ration, till they were ; a mass of fat and
couldn't walk.      ' -^ir __i '__«*
*The principle hofds good* in cowsHtliat
as far as you can go and not impair health
you gain in proportion of milk and butter fat to a fixed amount of feed by keeping perfect quiSt and comfort. Of course
such an animal is very tender and one
hour of exposure would cause heavy
loss. But it is an age of extremes and
expert work. I have only mentioned the
ideal state; let one go as far as he may
dare. No horns. No dogs. No kicking,
swearing help. All is peace, plenty and
comfort.
'Tis fortunate for dairymen this year of
light clover hay crops that bran is so
cheap. We pay $6 75 a ton for it. It is
worth $8 or $10 a ton for manure alone
and if fed it loses only 15 per cent of this
value.
Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station
report shows that the most profitable ra.
tion for a dairy is one that is rich in albuminoids, (llesh formers, as clover, bran
etc.,) rather than in carbohydrates (fat
producers as corn, wheat, timothy hay
etc ) In other words the fat formers are
consumed in the body mostly for heat,
while the muscle and flesh forming foods
produce more milk and butter. The ratio should be about 1 to 6 or 7. Following
is a good ration for a 1,000 pound cow one
day. Twelve pounds clover hay, 20
pounds corn silage, four pounds corn
meal, four pounds wheat bran.
The above has a ratio of 1 to 7.4, which
is pretty high in fat. One should remember that corn fodder itself gives a ration
very rich in fats, being about 1 to 13. If
only one pound of oil meal were added to
the above ration it would be very well
balanced. Some may not have silage and
I will give another good ration for a milk
cow. Twelve pounds fodder, 10 pounds
clover hay, three pounds corn meal,
three pounds oat meal, six pounds bran,
ratio Ito 6 3.
We have no doubt all been much interested in the election. It was to me the
most intensely interesting campaign I
have ever seen since Greely's time. My
copy box is the nearest empty it has been
since this department commenced. Until the last week or so you know we had
to steal a little space on the 9th page most
every week.
We received a number of kind words
about the department. "It is fresh from
a field." "It answers many practical
questions." "The review deals largely
with principles," etc.
While we are grateful   for  thoughtful
appreciations, you will please remember
that the central force from which other
thoughts originate lies in the fresh home
work of the correspondents. We hope you
will fill up the department again. The
election Is over, "we are all friends again,"
'rah for America!
After polling a heavy vote in our quiet
village, (no saloon here), and eating a
good dinner and supper with our Methodist ladies, our band wiled away the
early evening by playing '-The Star
Spangled Banner," "America," "Marching Through Georgia," etc.
E. H. Collins.
No. 37, Nov. 21—Do you use a silo? Why
do you or why not? How did you make
yours, size and shape, is it in the barn or
not?
No. 28, Nov. 28 —What did you grow to
fill it? And how was itgrown and filled?
Did you ever fill with clover with success?   Do you like silage?
No. 39, Dec. 5.—How do you manage
your butchering, killing, tempering
scalding water, cleaning, etc?
No. 40, Dec. 12. The best method of rendering lard, mixing and saving sausage,
making souse, etc	
No. 41, Dec. 19.—How can I best cure
and smoke meat for family use?
No. 42, Dec. 26.—Ssnd in a number-of
nice little talks about Christmas—what it
means to you and yours.   How observed,
etc,**,;--.; _:-__^, J ,^^^4, ,
Remember our premiums" to subscribers of $175 and 50 cents for the three
best articles. To most of you the higher
motive is to lend a hand. Help us push
this department right up to tbe close of
the year, etc.
If our friends will write as soon as you
can on any of these topics, your copy will
be filed away and be ready when the
topic is published. E. II. Collins.
Letter From Florida.
Editoes Indiana Faem-Ek:
The following are some questions asked
by a correspondent in Indiana. But few
of them have been answered in the
Farmer and will be of interest, no doubt:
What is the character of the land there,
soil and subsoil?
Sandy loam soil, yellow clay subsoil.
Is the timber mostly or all pine? How
large is the growth?
All pine except on the hills where it is
hard wood.   All sizes in growth.
What is it worth per acre to clear the
land for cultivation?
I have contracted it cleared for $5 per
acre.   I can do it for $3.
What fruits, vegetables and grains are
best adapted or most profitable to grow
there?
Peaches, pears, plums, grapes, strawberries, etc. Watermelons, cucumbers,
celery, asparagus, potatoes, etc. Corn,
oats, rice, rye., sugar cane, etc.
What kind of stock is mostly kept? Do
horses and cattlo from the North do well
there?   How is pasturage?
Cattlo, horses, hogs, sheep. Northern
stock does well. Pasture in the woods
the year round.
What is the price of land, say from one
to three miles of town, improved and unimproved?
■Unimproved $3 to $5, and improved
same distance $5 to $7.
How far are you from the Gulf coast?
About 40 miles.
Is it hot and sultry in the summer?
Hot but not oppressive. Never a sun
stroke.
Do you get the sea breezes?
Yes.
Does the rain fall at intervals through
the year and how much?
Yes. No special rainy seasons. - Average rainfall 50 inches.
How do you consider it there for
health?
No place better.
Is there much malarial influence?
None here that I know of.
How is the water?
Perfectly soft and free from mineral.
How deep do you have to go to get good
water?
Twenty to 30 feet.
What kind of roads have you?
Good, never muddy or dusty.
Is the country level or hilly?
Usually gently rolling. Some places
level and some slightly hilly.
Are there many running streams of
water?
Sufficient for drainage.
Do you have many storms or cyclones?
No cyclones or bad storms.
What is the average temperature for
the year?
In the neighborhood of 60°.
What are the variations from summer
winter?
Seldom below 30°.   Seldom above 90°.
What is the state of society as to public
schools and churches?
We have one of the best school systems
in the Union and it is progressing rapidly
for a new country. The people are
church goers and law abiding.
What in your opinion, if any, are the
advantages there ovar ^he North?
Health, climate, comfort, fuel, fruit and
the profits in growing stock and special
crops. \
Where are your markets'" What do
you have to market mostly?   '*•'
«, ^'s_ji___i v&^siSLQ)^SA__mj.	
syrup are sold at home. Also cattle and
wool. Fruits, melons and berries are
shipped mostly to New Orleans, Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and
New York. Sometimes bought here on
track.
Farmers sowing oats and rye, digging
potatoes and fruit growers planting
strawberry plants. Everybody making
garden during the month.
Chipley, Fla. A. G. Chandlee.
Functions of Lime in the Soil.
In the translation from the German
which appeared recently it was stated
that lime was an accumulator of nitrogen. This is true in part only; it certain,
ly increases the stock of available nitrogen in the soils, for when caustic lime Is
applied to land it at once decomposes all
organic matter in it containing nitrogen,
as grass, manure, muck, etc., and liberates nitrogen as ammonia. Though the
soil retains with tight grasp a small
quantity of ammonia, still, if the amount
liberated is large, a corresponding amount
will be lost, so the folly of applying lime
in large applications is seen. No more
should be applied than will liberate sufficient ammonia to be taken up by the
growing crop. The immediate effect
from an application of lime on land
which contains a considerable amount of
organic matter is to greatly increase the
crop; if no plant food is added,after a few
years have elapsed the soil will be left
poorer than before. This will be readily
understood when we consider that lime
is not really a plant food, but more of the
nature of a stimulant; and if large crops
are taken off and nothing added, the land
is sure to become exhausted. These facts
haye given rise to the common Idea that ■
large applications of lime impoverish the
soil. More lime than is necessary for the
use of plants is found in all ordinary
soils. Lime also tends to the unlocking
of inorganic food supplies, and this is especially true of potash and soda. It also
has a good effect upon soils which are
known as sour, as it will, to a certain extent, neutralize the acid in the soil.
Other advantages gained by an application of lime will be the rendering of stiff
soils more pliable and destroying various
forms of insect life and fungus growths.
A pin-making machine turns out 8,000
an hour, and some factories have as
many as thirty or forty machines at
work at one time.