DIGESTION AND WINTER FEEDING. 41 



The digestive capacity of the various ruminants seems to- 

 be about the same; that is, they will extract the same 

 amount of nourishment from a given quantity. But the 

 horse wiU digest less than any of them. All stock will 

 digest about the same proportion from a large ration as a 

 small one : hence we see that we can crowd our stock to 

 greater efforts than the majority of us are doing. But there 

 is a varying capacity for digestion in the different breeds of 

 cattle and swine, as well as in the individuals of the breed. 

 Illustrations are unnecessary, as all acquainted with stock are 

 familiar with this ; but it rarely enters the minds of farmers, 

 that they can increase or ruin the digestion of their cattle 

 by improper and irregular feeding. Much of the success of 

 the dairy depends upon this. 



I believe that all farmers should raise their own stock, and 

 should have in view from the beginning, that, whether it is 

 destined for work, beef, or milk, the whole profit of the 

 animal comes from its powers of digestion. To this end the 

 calf should be allowed to suckle its dam until able to eat 

 hay and grain. This is better than teaching them to drink, 

 even though new milk is given them ; for the act of suckling 

 promotes, the flow of saliva, and the milk is more perfectly 

 digested, the animal is more thrifty, and the foundation for 

 future usefulness is laid. 



I have had no experience in steaming food, except upon a 

 very limited and primitive plan ; but, judging from all that I 

 can learn, it has not met with the success that was claimed 

 for it a few years ago. It does not increase the digestibility 

 of the food, but softens it, thereby relieving the digestive 

 organs from a portion of the tax placed upon them, and ena- 

 bles the farmer to feed out a great deal of fodder that would 

 otherwise be unpalatable to them. 



As a curiosity of winter feeding, I would call your atten- 

 tion to the extensive experiments of Linus W. Miller of 

 Stockton, N.Y., who for a number of years carried a herd 

 of dry cows through the winter on a ration of three quarts 

 of meal each per day : no hay whatsoever was given. Under 

 this treatment the animal loses the large paunch, because of 

 its non-distension. She drinks but little water, and does 

 not chew her cud. He claims that they come out in the 

 spring as well as those cows that have full rations of hay. 



