148 



AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



its light, digestible character. It is also stirred into water, 

 making an excellent beverage for laborers in hot weather. 

 The principal use of oats in the United States, is as food 

 for working animals, for which they are unrivalled. Oats 

 are sometimes used when ground for fattening cattle, sheep 

 and swine ; but for this purpose, they are surpassed by corn, 

 barley, peas or boiled potatoes. They are an excellent fod- 

 der for stock sheep, and for them, are most economically fed 

 in the straw. All stock will do well upon them, when har- 

 vested early, and cut previous to feeding, in a suitable cut- 

 ting box. 



Analysis. Davy found in 1,000 parts of Scotch oats, 743 

 of soluble or nutritive matter, containing 641 of mucilage 

 or starch, 15 saccharine matter, and 87 gluten or albumen. 

 Those of England, gave 59 of starch, six of gluten, two of 

 saccharine matter, and 33 of husk in 100 parts. 



INDIAN CORN, (Zea maize). 



This next to the grasses, is by far 

 the most important crop of the 

 United States. The quantity this 

 country is capable -of raising, would 

 fail to command belief, even if fairly 

 stated. Its capacity will never be 

 fully known, till a demand from 

 abroad shall stimulate production 

 much beyond what it has ever per- 

 manently realized heretofore. The 

 census return for 1840, gave 387,- 

 000,000 bushels ; and for 1843, the 

 estimate of the whole product of 

 Indian corn in this country, was over 

 400,000,000 bushels. The effect 

 of this immense production of a sta- 

 ple article, is felt in every depart- 

 ment of our agriculture; and is 

 conclusively shown by the low pri- 

 Fig- 37. ces of beef, pork, mutton, human 



food, whiskey and high wines, to all of which, corn is made 

 largely to contribute. Nearly all the beef and pork of the 

 vast and fertile West, and much in the North and South is 

 made from it. 



Corn seems to have been created for this western hemis- 

 phere. It is raised in boundless luxuriance, from the frozen 



