1856.] Our Forage Crops. 503 



less amount of forage adequate to the proper nourishment of the an- 

 imal. 



At this point comes up the further application of this principle to 

 the question as to the expediency of bruising, cracking or grinding 

 our forage grains. It seems to be manifest as the result of the most 

 ample experience, that the feeding of grain in gross is much more 

 wasteful, than by feeding it cracked or coarsely ground. All analogy 

 with the character of food found best for human consumption seems 

 to sustain this conclusion. To be sure, we occasionally hear it stated, 

 that, for our animals, the ' natural food' is the best: — meanina- there- 

 by, food in its crude and unprepared state. This view might be held 

 as sound and philosophical, provided the animal itself were in iU nat- 

 ural state. But the animals of which we speak are domesticated ; 

 then sound sense as well as philosophy would indicate that the prep- 

 aration of their food should be changed, to correspond to their chano-e 

 of condition, — that the modification of their habits should be accom- 

 modated by a corresponding modification in their food. The food of 

 man in his savage state, is comparatively coarse, crude, and innutri- 

 tions; yet the savage energy of the animal economy, in such a state, 

 renders such food both wholesome and palatable, while it can not be 

 therefore recommended for the uses of civilized man. The functions 

 of the animal economy in the brute race, partake of the same charac- 

 teristic change, by reason of their domesticated condition ; it is, there- 

 fore, plainly the part of wisdom to adapt their forage to their new 

 condition. To this end the crushing of their cereal food is most ob- 

 viously proper for them, and important to their owners : — proper, 

 because by rendering it easy of mastication, it is made more easy of 

 digestion and assimilation ; and important, by reason of the economy 

 thereby attainable. In the West, this procedure was formerly incon- 

 venient, and, in many instances, quite impracticable on account of the 

 great distance ' to mill ; ' but since Leavett's Patent of ' The Young 

 America Corn and Cob Mill, ' the difficulty is almost altogether re- 

 moved; for every farmer, instead of taking his grain to the mill, can 

 now bring the mill to his grain. 



Against this doctrine of ground-grain-feed we have heard some 

 objections alleged, the most proceeding, however, so manifestly from 

 prejudice, that they need not be mentioned. There is one of those 

 objections, nevertheless, of too much importance to pass without no- 

 tice, which is, that the crushed or ground feed, corn for instance, is 

 not so wholesome to digestion as the crude grain, and is liable to pro- 



