THE KINDS OF EOOD. 115 



tion of the digestive fluids is promoted by the grinding 

 process, just as the flow of saliva in a person's mouth is 

 influenced by the act of chewing, even if nothing is 

 chewed but a straw. A good illustration of the fallacy 

 of unnatural expedients was afforded in feeding experi- 

 ments with hogs. It having been noticed that numerous 

 bits, large and small, of undigested corn were passed 

 from these animals, when it had been fed raw and 

 unground, it was supposed that a greater amount of 

 nutriment would be afforded by a given weight of ground 

 corn, as compared with an equal weight of the same 

 grain unground. But by carefully weighing both the 

 corn and the swine, the surprising result was reached 

 that the whole grain gave the greatest gain in growth. 

 The powerful muscles of the hog's jaws imply use, and 

 the secretion of saliva certainly, and the flow of other 

 digestive juices in the stomach probably, are by nature's 

 methods, persistently fixed in the lapse of ages, connected 

 with the workings of the aforesaid muscles. 



The variety in feed for fowls previously hinted at is in 

 accordance with nature. When on free range they glean 

 a little of everything, and the particular article most 

 feasible for the poulterer to feed is optional with him. 

 Brewers' grains, the waste at fisheries where great num- 

 bers of fish are dressed, chandlers' greaves, and many 

 other things are unavailable over large areas of our 

 country. As for the "balanced ration" we hear so 

 much about in connection with all species of domestic 

 animals, we miist feed what we can get and that which 

 is the cheapest, which in our favored land is principally 

 corn. The workings of the internal economy of a 

 healthy animal, especially an omnivorous animal like 

 the fowl, will "balance" the ration by selecting from 

 our national grain the nutritive elements required by 

 the varying needs of the system. 



Feed millet and wheat for a change, but corn, being 



