Proper Feeding of Cattle.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7704, 5 January 1905, Page 4

Proper Feeding of Cattle.

For some time the Belgian Government, in response to its request, has been receiving information from agriculturists as to various experiments wtfich they have made in regard to the feeding of milch cows, the object of the Belgian Government being to prove to farmers that, by improving the' rations according to scientific princilpes, their cows would yield them better products, and at the same time more profit. The results arrived at by the bulk of the experiments have shown that proteic matter has been wanting in the foodstuffs. According to our contemporary, the Industrie Laitieie Beige, the opinion was held by several farmers that a mealy food and certain other products produced on the farm could not be surpassed, and were astonished to ind that, by substituting some oil cake tor a, portion of the former, highly satisfactory results were obtained < It is, says our contemporary, often disadvantageous to dispose of farm products in order to., procure cheaper foodstuffs. A very general observation was that tbero .was not sufficient dry matter in. most of the rations; much importance was attached to the amount of the ration ; but potatoes cxpeciadly contain a good amount of water but little dry matter. It has ■however, been shown by experiment that by the introduction into the rations of more proteic matter, in the (orm of oil cakes (cottonseed, araches, Unseed, etc.), the condition of the milch cows will quickly improve. Our contemporary says'that if the proper feeding of nril'ch cows were to be observed in Belgium a profit would result to Belgian 'agriculture from this item alone of Jver l a millions sterling „„ the 850,000 cows possessed by that country,. So startling al -e these figures that" the Belgian Governments action in seek?"J° SlV ° in st"'<:tio» is to be h'ghly commended, and it is to e hoped that some practicni i-csu? maj. follow m this respect; for, givthe degree of interest"U h *X Belgian authorities are taking in o men! hn that «* Government have had several booklets printed- as to the proper method of thof 0 ' , WhiCh a ' c ™&M to all those who apply 4or them