Salt For Dairy Stock

Salt is one of the most important accessories in the food of all herbivorous anímala and one of the most abused in its distribution to farm stock, by the avt'i'age farmer. We recollect thirty-five years ago, being sent with a bag of salt out on the range on horseback once a week to bait cattle. Between those times they had to get along by licking the alkaline elflorescences that are so widely distributed in inany places throughout tho West. It must strike any intelligent man or woman that, if salt be necessary %} the animal economy, and that no one doubts, it is as necessary, each and every day, as it would be at such occasional intervals as may suit the conveniences of tho individual. It has long been known among observing people that the longer farm stock are kept without salt, the more crazy they become tor it, and that they consume more than when they can take it at will. Salt when taken in undue quantities, and at long intervals, acts as a cathartic, and produces preoisely different effect from what is wanted. Instead of acting to promote the growth of bone and muscle, it depletes the system. If testimony were wantod as to the sanitary effect of salt, we might quote from eminent chemists and physicists. Boussingault, Liebig, Dr. Carpenter and others, vvho concur in acknowledging, that salt is necessary in warding off malarious and other diseases, murrain, black quarter, epizootic aptha, Spanish fever and other diseases that aro sudden aud fatal in their attacks. It is well known that salt is absolutely necessary for the preservation of the organic component paits of the blood in a healthy state, and especially so when animáis are deprived of exercise, as in fattening, when the danger of hoalth is intensified by the excess of food given. The Western Rural has herotofore pointed out why salt was unnecessary to carnivorous animáis, for the reason that they feed upon the flesh of herbivorous ones, and the needed saline matters are contained in the flesh and blood of the prey. Wliere salt is always within reach of animáis they will tajee just what they want and no more, and will consume less than they would if fed what they will consume at intervals more or less irregular. Man undoubtedly consumos more salt in proportion to bis living weight than any other animal, more perhaps than is absolutely necessary to perfect health, but animáis can only get it at the will of their masters, and are seldom allowed their own instinct as to the quantity consumed. In the management oí dairy stock, a due supply of salt whero tliu cows can have access to it at all times is of the first nocessity. Bcsides the sanitary reason, giveu above, the milk of cows regularly salted makes botter and moro butter and cheeso than those irregularly salted. Another important tact is worthy of attention, and that is, that unloss animáis giving milk drink largely "of wator, the quantity of milk will be small. If furnislied plenty of salt thirst is induced, and the extra water drank assists thu ftow of milk very materially. In winter again, the infrequent feeding of salt is highly mjurious, for the exces aivu thirst producodwhenit is fedfrom the iarge quantity which the animal takes, causes the animal to drink inordinately, thus chilling the system, and shutting off that very secretion of milk for which the animal is kept. If, however, both salt and water be placed where the animáis will have access to thera at all times, they will take both whon wantod and amply repay the care and attention bestowed. - Western llunil. CbfPitfttpnrps