130 BULK AS AN ELEMENT OF FOOD. 



cial, since concentrated food, which would otherwise 

 be given in small quantities, may be united with larger 

 quantities of coarser and less nutritive food, and the 

 complete assimilation of the whole be better secured. 

 On this subject Dr. Voelcker truly observes that the 

 most nutritious kinds of food produce little or no effect 

 when they are not digested by the stomach, or if the 

 digested food is not absorbed by the lymphatic vessels, 

 and not assimilated by the various parts of the body. 

 Now, the normal functions of the digestive organs not 

 only depend on the composition of the food, but also 

 on its volume. The volume or bulk of the food con- 

 tributes to the healthy activity of the digestive organs, 

 by exercising a stimulating effect on the nerves which 

 govern them. Thus the whole organization of ruminat- 

 ing animals necessitates the supply of bulky food, to 

 keep the animal in good condition. 



Feed sweet and nutritious food, therefore, regu- 

 larly, frequently, and in small quantities, and change it 

 often, and the best results may be confidently expected. 

 If the cows are not in milk, but are to come in in the 

 spring, the difference in feeding should be rather in the 

 quantity than the quality, if the highest yield is to be 

 expected from them the coming season. 



The most common feeding is hay alone, and oftentimes 

 very poor hay, at that. The main point is to keep the 

 animal in a healthy and thriving condition, and not to 

 suffer her to fail in flesh ; and with this object some 

 change and variety of food is highly important. And 

 here it may be remarked that cows in calf should not, 

 as a general rule, be milked the last month or six weeks 

 before calving, and many prefer to have them run dry 

 as many as eight or ten weeks. The yield of milk is 

 better the coming season, and holds out better, than if 

 they are milked up to the time of calving. 



