Post by admin on Sept 15, 2006 21:25:40 GMT -5
AS A FOOD FOR STOCK
The value of root crops for stock has so long been recognized that it is almost universally regarded as a necessity, not alone for the actual food nutrients they contain, but the peculiar diatetic effect so essential to the well being of all animals.
A glance at the table below will convince the most skeptical of its superiority over many of the standard foodstuffs.
AVERAGE COMPOSITION
Food Material
Protein or Muscle Builders
Carbohydrates or Fat Formers
Mangel Beet
1.4 per cent
26.4 per cent
Turnip
1.1 per cent
11.4 per cent
Rutabaga
1.2 per cent
9.3 per cent
Carrot
1.1 per cent
9.0 per cent
Parsnip
1.6 per cent
7.6 per cent
Sweet Potato
1.5 per cent
7.6 per cent
We readily see that the potato contains practically as much muscle-building material as any, and more than double that of the fat formers.
In view of the above table and most especially the fact that years of experience have taught us that the sweet potato crop is the one crop that can be depended upon in favorable years for an enormous yield, which can be greatly increased with a little intelligent direction in the preparation of the soil, fertilization, etc., we have been able to produce here on our Experiment Station 359 bushels to the acre, and I fully believe our soils can be made to yield 500 bushels of the coarser growing varieties.
A series of experiments have proven that the Dooley Yam, Southern Queen, Pumpkin Yam and the White and Red Nansemond may be left out in the field with but slight injury for feeding purposes, which would save the expense of housing or banking.
EXPERIMENT No. 1
Mr. M. V. Darthard, in charge of the horses and mules, who personally conducted the following experiments, is enthusiastic over the results. The experiment covered a period of 30 days.
Four mules were fed potatoes, two that were doing heavy work and two that were doing light work; corn was the grain ration. After the preliminary feeding, substitutions for grain were made at the rate of 2 3/4 to 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes to 1 1/2 pounds of corn plus the usual ration of hay.
These four mules kept in good condition, and were able to do good work. In fact they looked as well and were able to do as much work as the four check mules.
The results of this experiment was, that the sweet potatoes were made to replace 1/2 of the corn for the feeding of mules, which means a great saving in actual dollars and cents.
CAUTION
It is highly important that the potatoes be gradually fed in the beginning, increasing the quantity as the animal becomes accustomed to them. Frozen potatoes must also be fed with caution, or ascetic or alcoholic fermentation may set in and cause serious results. Do not feed the potatoes to horses, mules and cattle after they have become sour; hogs may eat them with safety.
EXPERIMENT No. 2
THE FEEDING OF SWEET POTATOES TO HOGS
This experiment was conducted by Mr. R. R. Robinson, in charge of the swine herd.
Six hogs were used; two were fed wholly on sweet potatoes, two were fed shorts, and two were fed corn. Eight pounds of potatoes were fed each day, with the following gain of flesh at the close of 28 days:
Lot No. 1. Fed on potatoes; made a total gain of 24 1/2 pounds
Lot No. 2. Fed on shorts; made a total gain of 33 pounds
Lot No. 3. Fed on corn; made a total gain of 53 1/2 pounds
These figures are intensely interesting from the fact that such highly concentrated foodstuffs as shorts and corn only exceed the potatoes thus: In the matter of putting on fat -- corn, 29 pounds; shorts, 8 1/2 pounds. It is also easy to see that these results are not inconsistent with good farm practice, and all the farmers with experience know that all kinds of stock, such as hogs, cattle, horses, mules, and poultry, are not only fond of them, but thrive upon them as well, when the potatoes are judiciously fed with concentrates, such as corn, cottonseed meal, bran, shorts, etc.
VINES
The vines make an excellent quality of hay, which chemists find to be in composition about the same as that of succulent cowpea vines. The vines turn black when dried, but the stock eat them greedily. The vines have been found to be of the following composition: muscle builders, 12.48 per cent; fat formers, 78.79 per cent
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
When the potatoes are frozen so that they become soft they must be fed as fast as possible as they will not keep. Care must be taken not to give horses, mules and cattle too much of them, as they are very sweet after freezing, and tempting to the appetite. Steaming, boiling and mixing with grains, shorts, meal, bran, corn, etc., make an excellent fattening food for hogs and one greatly relished. We feed them after being frozen the same as before without any apparent bad results.
plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/sweetpotatoes.ht
The value of root crops for stock has so long been recognized that it is almost universally regarded as a necessity, not alone for the actual food nutrients they contain, but the peculiar diatetic effect so essential to the well being of all animals.
A glance at the table below will convince the most skeptical of its superiority over many of the standard foodstuffs.
AVERAGE COMPOSITION
Food Material
Protein or Muscle Builders
Carbohydrates or Fat Formers
Mangel Beet
1.4 per cent
26.4 per cent
Turnip
1.1 per cent
11.4 per cent
Rutabaga
1.2 per cent
9.3 per cent
Carrot
1.1 per cent
9.0 per cent
Parsnip
1.6 per cent
7.6 per cent
Sweet Potato
1.5 per cent
7.6 per cent
We readily see that the potato contains practically as much muscle-building material as any, and more than double that of the fat formers.
In view of the above table and most especially the fact that years of experience have taught us that the sweet potato crop is the one crop that can be depended upon in favorable years for an enormous yield, which can be greatly increased with a little intelligent direction in the preparation of the soil, fertilization, etc., we have been able to produce here on our Experiment Station 359 bushels to the acre, and I fully believe our soils can be made to yield 500 bushels of the coarser growing varieties.
A series of experiments have proven that the Dooley Yam, Southern Queen, Pumpkin Yam and the White and Red Nansemond may be left out in the field with but slight injury for feeding purposes, which would save the expense of housing or banking.
EXPERIMENT No. 1
Mr. M. V. Darthard, in charge of the horses and mules, who personally conducted the following experiments, is enthusiastic over the results. The experiment covered a period of 30 days.
Four mules were fed potatoes, two that were doing heavy work and two that were doing light work; corn was the grain ration. After the preliminary feeding, substitutions for grain were made at the rate of 2 3/4 to 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes to 1 1/2 pounds of corn plus the usual ration of hay.
These four mules kept in good condition, and were able to do good work. In fact they looked as well and were able to do as much work as the four check mules.
The results of this experiment was, that the sweet potatoes were made to replace 1/2 of the corn for the feeding of mules, which means a great saving in actual dollars and cents.
CAUTION
It is highly important that the potatoes be gradually fed in the beginning, increasing the quantity as the animal becomes accustomed to them. Frozen potatoes must also be fed with caution, or ascetic or alcoholic fermentation may set in and cause serious results. Do not feed the potatoes to horses, mules and cattle after they have become sour; hogs may eat them with safety.
EXPERIMENT No. 2
THE FEEDING OF SWEET POTATOES TO HOGS
This experiment was conducted by Mr. R. R. Robinson, in charge of the swine herd.
Six hogs were used; two were fed wholly on sweet potatoes, two were fed shorts, and two were fed corn. Eight pounds of potatoes were fed each day, with the following gain of flesh at the close of 28 days:
Lot No. 1. Fed on potatoes; made a total gain of 24 1/2 pounds
Lot No. 2. Fed on shorts; made a total gain of 33 pounds
Lot No. 3. Fed on corn; made a total gain of 53 1/2 pounds
These figures are intensely interesting from the fact that such highly concentrated foodstuffs as shorts and corn only exceed the potatoes thus: In the matter of putting on fat -- corn, 29 pounds; shorts, 8 1/2 pounds. It is also easy to see that these results are not inconsistent with good farm practice, and all the farmers with experience know that all kinds of stock, such as hogs, cattle, horses, mules, and poultry, are not only fond of them, but thrive upon them as well, when the potatoes are judiciously fed with concentrates, such as corn, cottonseed meal, bran, shorts, etc.
VINES
The vines make an excellent quality of hay, which chemists find to be in composition about the same as that of succulent cowpea vines. The vines turn black when dried, but the stock eat them greedily. The vines have been found to be of the following composition: muscle builders, 12.48 per cent; fat formers, 78.79 per cent
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
When the potatoes are frozen so that they become soft they must be fed as fast as possible as they will not keep. Care must be taken not to give horses, mules and cattle too much of them, as they are very sweet after freezing, and tempting to the appetite. Steaming, boiling and mixing with grains, shorts, meal, bran, corn, etc., make an excellent fattening food for hogs and one greatly relished. We feed them after being frozen the same as before without any apparent bad results.
plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/sweetpotatoes.ht