452 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



be given to swine directly and without admixture, where- 

 as for cattle, it is deemed preferable to mix it with a cer- 

 tain amount of more bulky food. Nearly all kinds of grain 

 are ground before being fed to cattle, a process of prepara- 

 tion not deemed necessary when feeding them to sheep. 



The kind of production called for has a powerful in- 

 fluence in determining how foods may best be used. Tim- 

 othy hay, for instance, has high adaptation for feeding 

 horses, since it is well adapted to furnishing heat and 

 energy, and is not so laxative as alfalfa and some other 

 foods. As a fodder for horses, it is considered inferior to 

 clover. For cows it is not considered equal to clover, and 

 for sheep its adaptation is considerably lower, especially 

 if coarse and harvested late. Succulent food such as soil- 

 ing foods, corn silage and field roots, are admirable for milk 

 production, also young grass, whereas to give the same in 

 large quantity to horses when hard at work would be very 

 unwise. In furnishing pasture such adaptation should also 

 be studied. The rape plant, for instance, is probably with- 

 out a rival in its adaptation in providing pasture for sheep, 

 whereas, it is ill-suited to providing pasture for horses at 

 work. The importance of using foods in the best line of 

 their adaptation cannot be easily over estimated. 



Foods that influence digestion favorably. (i) Some 

 foods in addition to the sustenance which they furnish, ex- 

 ercise an influence on digestion so salutary as to place 

 their value as foods far away above what is represented by 

 the nutrients which they contain and the digestibility of 

 the same; (2) the influence thus exerted tends to correct 

 the harmful results that grow out of constipation or un- 

 due laxness of the bowels, according to the kind of food; 

 (3) because of this, when used mainly to give proper tone 

 to the digestion, the real value of such foods is usually far 

 above their market value; (4) when fed mainly for such a 

 use, small and moderate rather than large quantities should 

 be fed. 



