58 MANUAL OF CATTLK-FEEBING. 



begins to eat more volnminons food the jBrst three are de- 

 veloped and begin their functions. 



liquid foods, in the full-grown animal, pass partly into 

 all four stomachs. 



The ruminants are thus especially adapted by nature to 

 digest and utilize large volumes of coarse and relatively 

 poor fodder, straw e, g,^ and to extract from them the 

 nutrients which they contain. 



The opinion has been almost universally held that a cer- 

 tain volume of fodder is essential to the well-being of rumi- 

 nating animals, and that, when concentrated feeding-stuffs 

 are used, they must be supplemented by a suitable amount of 

 coarse fodder, such as hay or straw, in order that the im- 

 portant function of rumination may not be disturbed. 



There is no doubt that a bulky fodder is the natural food 

 of ruminants, but the somewhat famous experiments of 

 Mr. Linus "W. Millei*, of Stockton, N. Y., seem to show 

 that rumination may be suspended for a considerable time 

 with no injurious results. 



Mr. Miller states that for several years he lias success- 

 fully wintered his cows on corn-meal exclusively, feeding 

 about three quai-ts per day and head, and that, although 

 rumination has been entirely suspended for some months, 

 no ill-effects were observed. Several others have also tried 

 his system with favorable results. 



The question of the sufficiency of such a ration we shall 

 consider further on, but although the experiments have 

 been the object of much criticism they certainly seem to 

 show that a bulky fodder is not so essential to ruminants 

 as has been supposed. 



Naturally, however, coarse fodders will continue to form 

 the basis for tlie rations of our farm animals under most 

 circumstances ; and suice, in that case, the process of diges- 



