A NEW DISCOVERY. 67 



Starch, the chief nutritive element in corn and other 

 carbonaceous plants, is almost identical in its chemical 

 constituents with sugar. But it is difficult to digest, by 

 reason of the toughness of the envelope which encloses 

 the starch-cell. 



The gastric juice of the stomach being able to dissolve 

 but a part of them, the remainder passes from the ani- 

 mal in its excrement, and is lost. 



The softening and fermentive process through which 

 the Ensilage passes in the Silo bursts the starch-cells, 

 and converts the starch into sugar, as is evinced by the 

 strong odor of alcohol which is emitted when the Ensi- 

 lage is exposed to the action of the oxygen in the 

 atmosphere. The digestion of the Ensilage is thus ren- 

 dered easier, and its assimilation more perfect. 



By mixing the concentrated nitrogenous food with the 

 comminuted forage at the time of Ensilaging, the labor 

 of fqeding the concentrated nitrogenous food is reduced 

 to a minimum. 



The nitrogenous food is also subjected to the same 

 softening and fermentive process. The carbo-hydrates in 

 it (composed largely of starch) are liberated, and fitted 

 for easy digestion and assimilation. The albuminoids 

 (which contain the nitrogen) are also rendered more 

 digestible and assimilable by this process of maceration 

 and fermentation, which has the same effect substan- 

 tially upon them as that which is produced by the pro- 

 cess of steaming or cooking. 



The concentrated food should be added in such 

 amounts that the mixture shall contain the proper com- 

 parative amounts of albuminoids and carbo-hydrates 

 which are best adapted to the sustenance and growth of 

 our domestic animals. An addition of about ten per 

 cent of wheat-bran to the corn-fodder would make the 



