FEEDING. The proper and economical feed ing of live stock has always attracted the close study of intelligent stock-growers. The time has long since when it is considered true economy to allow young stock to shift for them selves without the intelligent care of the' master, and proper feeding. It is no longer thought economical to raise animals on only sufficient food in winter to keep life in them, or until the succeeding spring shall again start them on the new grass. The most successful feeders of to-day feed all stock liberally,' and such as are destined for human food, are fed fully from birth, and until ready for the butcher's block. But the system of forcing is carefully avoided with all stock intended for either labor, or breed ing. The object here is to develop strong con stitutions and ample bone and muscle, that a long and tiseful life may result. Hence a differ ent class of foods are used from those intended for mere fattening. In this, again, the question of the proper foods to be used becomes impor tant. To reach the best results, feeding must be carried out systehnatically. The mere feeding of an animal constantly full, with rich food, will not necessarily cause it fatten kindly. The food must be perfect food; that is adapted to the special requirements of the animal. Young ani mals; those required for labor; those to be used for fast driving, and those ready for feeding ripe (fully fat) each require different food, and, indeed, different care. Here again comes in the question of temperature. In some countries, and this is especially true in the West, stock require perfect artificial means of keeping warm in win ter. In some countries where fuel is cheap and food dear, it has been found economical to use fire-heat in the stables, and also the use of cooked food. In the United States, adding to the food ration, with good shRlter is as a rule most eeo• nomical. In the fattening of animals, the sooner they can be brought up to a fully fat weight, the greater will be the profit; a weight of say 1,500 pounds for cattle, 300 pounds for the large breeds of swine, 200 pounds for the small breeds, and from 100 to 150 pounds for sheep, according to the breed. To do this they must be pressed for
ward from birth, by means of the food best adap ted to the animal, and marketed before they be come fully grown. In summer a pasture con taining a variety of good grasses will furnish this perfect food. If anything is needed more, it may measurably be •found, for fattening, in Indian corn, or meal as a supplementary food, to be given at night. For young animals, work ing, and, fast driving stock, oats are proper. The two first, however, may have any kind of mill stuff, with profit, if cheaper than oats. In the winter all stock in 'addition to good, sweet hay, should receive daily such grain as will best answer the end, except that corn meal, or corn may constitute a part of the daily ration for all classes of stock, since more fat is required for the animal waste than in summer. For dairy stock the young animals should be fed identically as for working stock, but not forced, since suffi cient frame-work for continued usefulness must be provided. Milking stock may receive largely of corn meal, in winter, and ground rye, oats, barley, or mill feed, according to relative prices. Dr. Thompson, of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, gives the following data in experimen tal researches of the food of animals, and the fattening of cattle, from which we extract to show the correctness of the opinions here stated: The importance of attention to the proper equilibrium of the constituents of the food is clearly pointed out in the following table, from which it is evident, food containing the greatest amount of starch or sugar does not produce• the largest quantity of butter, although these substances are supposed to supply the butter; but the best product of milk and butter is yielded by those species of food which seem to restore the equilibrium of the ani mals most efficiently. The first column in the table represents the food used by two cows; the second column gives the mean milk of the two animals for five days; the third, the butter dur ing periods of five days; while the fourth con tains the amount of nitrogen in the food taken by both animals during, the same periods:—.