1G6 INDIAN CORN CULTURE. 



forms the most valuable source of an econom- 

 ical carbonaceous food we have. 



It has long been known that the grain of 

 Indian corn is a most valuable food for domes- 

 tic animals. It is generally relished by farm 

 animals and imparts a quality to meat, milk 

 or butter which ranks it among the most, if 

 not the most, important common feeding-stuffs 

 at our command. During recent years it has 

 been well established, also, that the mature 

 plant, independent of the seed, has a high food 

 value, either green or as dry fodder. 



Eations illustrated — Without attempting 

 any elaborate discussion of the merits of Indian 

 corn as a food, and presenting a large number 

 of feeding rations, the balance of this chapter 

 will be devoted to a few illustrations of rations 

 and to demonstrating its importance when fed 

 on the farm under certain conditions. Many 

 different combinations of foods might be dis-. 

 cussed, with corn as a part of each ration, but 

 the space to be occupied here will not admit of 

 this. The purpose is rather to note the desir- 

 able and'undesirable use of corn as a food in 

 common practice, so that a brief amount of 

 space will be devoted to corn as a food for each 

 class of farm animals. 



Horses. — In that part of the country where 

 corn forms a prominent grain crop, as in the 

 Central West, and in much of the Southern 



