VI. AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 335 



GRINDING FODDER FOR DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



The practice of grinding or crashing hay and straw instead 

 of the usual method of chopping it, as an article of food for 

 domestic animals, is coming very much into favor. The di- 

 gestibility of these substances, as is well known, is much in- 

 creased by steaming and softening with water, but a very 

 marked improvement in the condition of cattle, it is said, is 

 speedily observed in consequence of the adoption of the pro- 

 cess referred to. It is maintained, also, that horses fed with 

 ground hay are much less liable to suffer from attacks of colic 

 than when the food is chopped, and that an appreciably 

 smaller quantity will supply sufficient nutriment, less passing 

 off in the form of undigested fibre. The operation of grind- 

 ing is effected by means of millstones, or any other conven- 

 iently-adapted arrangement, a very soft article of food being 

 produced, which is extremely acceptable to the cattle. 22 (7, 

 November , 1870,297. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE BREED OF CATTLE. 



According to Professor Schmied, a permanent improve- 

 ment of the breed of cattle is inseparably connected with the 

 following proposition, namely, that calves must be nourished 

 with a sufficient quantity of their mothers milk for a much 

 longer period than has hitherto been the custom, all other 

 methods having reference to this same object being insuffi- 

 cient without a proper adherence to this fundamental consid- 

 eration. 22 <?, November, 1870, 297. 



CATTLE INJURED BY EATING GREEN FLAX. 



Observations in Prussia have shown that the eating of 

 green flax by cattle may be seriously injurious. A well-kept 

 cow suddenlv became ill, with his;h fever and violent diar- 

 rhoea, accompanied by trembling of the muscles, anxious look, 

 drying up of the milk, and a lowering of the temperature at 

 the extremities. On inquiry into the cause of this sudden 

 attack, it was found that the animal had eaten a great quan- 

 tity of the weedings from a flax field. Strict diet, without 

 any medicine, improved her condition during the day, but 

 the next morning, epileptic convulsions ensuing, her owner 



