COLLECTING SHEET MUSIC Written by LAURA THYKESON OF ICE ORIGINALS
Why do people collect sheet music? There are several reasons why. First and foremost, all of us have a favorite song. No matter what walk of life you are from, you have at least one song that brings back memories of days gone by. Whether memories are good or bad, song has still become a part of your history.Many people collect sheet music, especially from early 1900's, because of beautiful artwork on front covers. There were many artists that worked for different music publishing companies, and some of these artists also went on to design for Walt Disney, and other very well known companies. If you examine cover of many of these old pieces of sheet music, you will be able to find where artist signed artwork. This always increases value of piece to a collector. You will find names like Starmer, Pfeffer, Barbelle, and mysterious "Rosebud" signature, which is generally thought to be work of several different artists that worked for Harry Rosenbaum. This mark usually consists of a rose shape within a circle, with several different variations on basic symbol, because of different artists involved. The music of late 1800's and very early 1900's are sometimes collected for style of printing on covers. These earliest pieces usually had very ornately lettered front covers, using different fonts and line graphics that are highly sought after by some areas of collectors. Not as beautiful to look at as far as later Art-Deco styles, but still beautiful in their own way. Most were printed using only black ink on white paper, because color printing process had not been developed well at time.
| | Feeding CattleWritten by David Selman, Tracker-Outdoors.com
A cow can eat 25 to 30 pounds of hay a day and waste a couple of more pounds. This adds up to 27 to 32 pounds per day per cow. Allow about half this amount for weanling calves and about three-quarters for yearlings.Large round bales often do not weigh as much as you might think. It is not unusual for so called 1000 pound bales to weigh 800 pounds or less. In addition, bales stored outside on ground may easily lose 20 to 30 percent more weight. Covered bales can also lose 10 to 15 percent if a portion of bales are in contact with ground. Look for additional forage alternatives. Beef cattle have ability to consume numerous types of feed and perform well. Hay can be expensive and in some years more expensive than others. Feed hay only when needed or when costs warrants doing so. A popular forage substitute is commercially prepared pasture cubes. These cubes, or large pellets, can be fed on ground but preferably in troughs and are designed to substitute for some portion of hay. Use crop residues such as corn stalks. When available, crop residues can trim many days off hay feeding period when pasture is limited. The use of supplemental feeds can reduce need for and consumption of hay. High starch supplement feeds such as corn reduce consumption of forage and hay. Corn may be "substituted" for hay. High starch feeds, such as corn, do decrease use of forages in a "free-choice" forage situation. But when forage is limited, corn can be used to "stretch" hay supply, especially when corn is relatively inexpensive. Cattle should be adapted to corn slowly over a 7 - 10 day period. As a rule of thumb, one pound of corn can replace two pounds of hay. Do not feed less than five pounds of hay per day with corn. With low-quality forages, protein often improves forage consumption and use. This is because protein requirements of rumen microbes must be met if forage is going to be effectively used. If hay doesn't meet protein requirements of animal, add supplemental protein. For example, adding as little as a pound a day of a 30 to 40 percent protein feed could increase total hay consumption and assist in keeping cows in optimal body condition. Soybean meal, cottonseed meal, corn gluten feed, whole cottonseed and commercial mixtures are some suggested protein sources. Provide adequate mineral supplements. Minerals do not have to be super expensive to work, but rarely are "cheapest" alternatives best. Genetically superior cattle have higher mineral requirements. This becomes apparent if nutritional needs are being stretched in a difficult weather situation. Processing feeds may or may not improve efficiency. Many feedstuffs (milo, whole soybeans) need to be at least coarsely ground or hammered to make nutrients available, while others do not. Most research has shown that only marginal benefits are gained from grinding corn. In fact, fine grinding of corn increases dust and makes it more likely to cause digestive upset. The best argument for using a coarsely ground or cracked corn is that it improves mixing with other ingredients. Pick a supplement that fits situation. Many producers do not have time to carefully mix ingredients and balance rations. Some do not have time for daily feeding. Some products, such as whole cottonseed, are excellent sources of both energy and protein, but generally require considerable labor in feeding. Consider labor and equipment in selecting a feed to stretch forages. However, most of low labor alternatives cost more. This is often termed "cost of convenience." A feed that is expensive to one producer may be a bargain to another. Manage feeding to stretch hay supplies. Feed in hay rings. Without rings, consider unrolling hay, but only if amount that can be consumed in one feeding can be unrolled. If too much is unrolled cows will use excess for bedding. Cut and remove strings on large bales fed in bay rings as well as that unrolled. Learn when to feed more hay. This is easier said than done. Sometimes last 1/4 to 1/3 of a large round hay bale is weather damaged, spoiled and has low nutritive value. Forcing cattle to eat this may decrease both production and body condition. Conversely, replenishing hay before cattle have eaten "good parts" of previously fed hay is inefficient and wasteful with limited hay supplies. Developing knack to feed correctly may require that manager carefully observe remnant hay in feeder to assess quality. Avoid excessive mud. Walking through mud very quickly burns energy. Many days of this can definitely decrease performance and body condition. It is also hard on person who does feeding. Increase hay allotment in cold weather. Nothing makes body heat better than consumption of plenty of good hay. Corn does not increase body heat as well as hay. A little protein will allow cows to better digest hay and increase body heat.
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