CHAPTER II 



THE ANIMAL MACHINE AND ITS PLACE IN 

 OUR ECONOMY 



THE highest type of domesticated animal has been 

 defined as the one which constitutes the most efficient 

 machine for making the greatest return, in its specific 

 product, on the raw material consumed. In this it bears 

 an important economic relation to man as a source of 

 food and clothing, and as an auxiliary in work. 



3. Economic purpose of animal machine. Food with 

 air and water are the three essentials for human existence. 

 Food is that which builds up the body and furnishes 

 energy for its activities; that which brings within reach 

 of the living cells which form the tissues the elements 

 which they need for life and growth. Only such available 

 substances can be called food, no matter what their chemi- 

 cal composition may be. Coal may be fuel for the fur- 

 nace, but not for cattle ; rough forage like hay may form 

 the basis of cattle rations, but it is not available for man's 

 consumption. It is in the conversion of such raw mate- 

 rials as are not available to man in their present form into 

 animal food products or into horse power for his service 

 that the animal machine serves a most important eco- 

 nomic purpose. If man were to eliminate the fruits of 

 animal production from his dietary, -there would be of 

 necessity an enormous increase in the cost of living, to 

 compensate for the tremendous loss of the crops of the 



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