Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1869 — form and household. [ARTICLE]

form and household.

Potatoes as Food for Farm stock. Immense quantities of potatoes were damaged by frost last flail, some before being dug and others in badly covered heaps in the fields. Ob this account, dealers are afraid to speculate in potatoes tills year, and consequently If sold at all, must be at a low price. Although a large quantity was safely harvested, buyers seem afraid that the tubers will not keep and the farmer has either to consume them at home, or sell them at a low price. In many cases It will be found much more profitable to feed them to stock of various kinds than to dispose of them for a trifle, after the expense of taking them a considerable distance to market. Even those which are partially decayed may be madt useful as food for hogs, the decayed parts being removed from the tubers. Potatoes are very much used in Great Britain and Ireland as food for horses, cattle, sheep and swine. On this subject a “ Practical Farmer ” has written an inter, eating article in a recent number of the Mark Lane Express. He Says that full grown cattle will consume profitably from one bushel to two bushels per day, provided with good dry chaff, that is, chopped hay or straw. The great consideration is to keep their bodies right. The chief •danger arises from the laxative properties of the raw potato—it is not purgative, but frequently causes “hove” or great distention of the stomach.' This, hower seldom occurs, except the aminals gormandise too much, aaithcy frequently will do when large quantities or pota'oes are given. It requires only ordinary care and watchfulness to prevent this. A neighbor of his lost three steers recently from this cause. They came in hungry and gorged themselves; hove and purging came on, and being i a rather low condition they could not withstand those attacks. This was an oversight which might easily have been prevented.

N For young, growing cattle they arc admirable food if given with judgment and discretion. Young calves thrive well upon them if they are well washed and cut for them. From a quarter to half a peck per day, is a good alowance for a calf, commencing when it is from ten to twelve weeks old. Young cattle, from two to two and a half years old, may have from two tosix pecks daily, taking care to watch the state of the bowels. As the spring advances these rations may be increased. Potatoes, like mangolds, contain considerable proportion of water, which during the winter is dissipated, and the tubers are thereby rendered more acceptable and wholesome food, and form an excellent substitute for eariy grass. It is remarks ble that when cattle, which have been wintered on straw, a few roots and a little cake, are put upon good rations of potatoes in spring, they thrive as rapidly as upon a good pasture, quickly.losc their old hair, and look like cattle grazed on a rich pasture. When potatoes are properly managed they are decidedly the best spring food for cattle and hogs, and should the potato disease cease altogether it would be advisable to grow a reasonable quantity for these purposes. Some danger arises to cattle from giving these tubers whole, as small ones are apt to cause choking by becoming fixed in the gullet On this account they should be sliced with a turnipcutter, or pulped with the pulper. Should choking occur, the flexible choke-tube, which ought to be in the posession of every farmer, should be gently passed down the animal’s gullet to remove the lodged potatoe, care being taken not to wound the gullet. In some instances the obstruction may be removed by a small hand passed down the throat to grasp the tuber. When the obstruction is far down this cannot be done, but the tuber may be pressed downward by the hand from the outside. As food for hogs, mixed with meal, potatoes are unrivalled, whether boiled, steamed or pulped. In all cases they should be cleanly washed. The pulping is the least expensive process, but the potatoes are not so nourishing as when steamed or boiled. The difference, however, is not great. For poultry, boiled or steamed potatoes ar exceedingly valuable. Western Rural.