40S OP STRA*, ITS VALUE, AND USES. 



feeding stock in winter, yet it furnishes a great deal of clo- 

 ver for summer-soiling, which otherwise must have been 

 made into hay, and consumed in winter, instead of the 

 straw. 



It is proper to add, that a variety of food is not only 

 desirable, but useful, and that without some article of in- 

 ferior quality, rich food, in too great quantities, would 

 become loalhsome. Dry food is advantageous, for ab- 

 sorbing the fluids in the stomach, by which that organ has 

 greater power to act upon them, and such food, may not 

 be so necessary, for the sake of the nourishment it affords, 

 as for enabling the animal to take greater quantities of 

 more nourishing aliment.* Indeed, unless the alimentary 

 canal be properly distended, the richest food will not nou- 

 rish an animal for any length of time : A dog has been 

 fed on the richest broth, yet could not be kept alive, 

 while another, which hud only the meat boiled to a chip, 

 and plain water, throve well. 



2. Litter. 



An intelligent writer on agriculture (Marshall) remarks, 

 that if a Yorkshire and a Norfolk farmer, got equal quan- 

 tities of straw, the Yorkshire-man would make his cattle 

 eat almost every particle, and would scarcely leave any to 

 litter their stalls with ; whilst the Norfolk-man would con- 

 vert the whole into muck. The Yorkshire-man would 

 keep more cattle, and would carry out his dung at less ex- 

 pence, whilst the Norfolk-man would make more muck.f 



* Code of Health, vol. i. p. 352. 



f- Rural Economy of Norfolk, vol. ii. p. 132. A correspondent, who 

 is well acquainted with both districts, observes, that the difference may 

 thus be accounted for: Yorkshire is a grazing district, corn husbandry 



