336 AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY 



ripe and woody. In the case of human foods also, fine- 

 ness of division of the particles favorably affects the com- 

 pleteness of the digestion process. Graham or coarsely 

 granulated flour, although it contains more nutrients, is 

 less digestible and furnishes less total available nutrients 

 than finely granulated flour. The advisability of grind- 

 ing animal foods depends entirely upon the cost of the 

 grinding. Where it can be done on the farm at slight 

 expense, it invariably pays to grind grains, particularly 

 wheat, barley, millet and others which have a hard seed 

 coat. In the feeding of coarse fodders, their mechanical 

 condition is an important factor. When shredded corn 

 fodder is fed, less energy is required on the part of the 

 animal to render the nutrients available. This results in 

 the return of a larger amount of net energy from the 

 food. 



460. Combination of Foods.- The way in which a 

 food is combined and fed in a ration influences its digesti- 

 bility. When foods are fed singly, they are not as com- 

 pletely digested as when fed in a well-balanced ration. 

 For example, experiments have shown that corn alone 

 when fed to pigs, is not as completely digested as when 

 combined with shorts and other foods. Some foods as- 

 sist in the digestion of other foods. Whenever milk is 

 added to the ration for pigs, a larger amount of pork is 

 secured than when the same amount of nutrients in other 

 form is added. The milk assists in the digestion of the 

 grains with which it is combined. Exact experiments to 

 show the full extent to which one food influences the 

 digestibility of another have not as yet been made. In 



