174 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



top, or near the top, of the gate-posts, to be used 

 in case stock casually open the gate. The string 

 would have only to be pulled by the carriage 

 driver, or any one else passing, which could 

 easily be done ; and, the catch being raised, as 

 soon as the weight pressed upon the platform the 



gate would roll out of the way ; and after the 

 gate shall have passed off the platform, in rolling 

 back to its position it will lift the catch, which 

 falling in its place as the gate is closed, keeps it 

 shut, till a passing weight and pull of the string 

 shall again cause it to open. 



Fig. 3. 



The operation of the gate, as illustrated in 

 Figure 2. will be at once understood on inspec- 

 tion. It operates in a groove in the beam or 

 platform, D, which is deepest in the centre, C, 

 where the gate rests when it is shut, and rises 

 to both the right and left. It is rolled out of the 



way by hand, and, when let loose, returns to its j hand, as does Figure 3 

 position, and shuts itself. It rolls between the i 



double fence, to keep it in place. Instead of 

 the difficulty of keeping a yard-gate shut, this 

 gate, with fair play, would never remain open. 



To let the rail and platform be made firm and 

 immovable, the gate, as represented in Figure 1, 

 may be made to operate, when opened by the 



PREPARING FOOD FOR FARM STOCK. 



In the January number of the Valley Farmer 

 we gave an article under this head, in which we 

 incidentally alluded to one of the most improved 

 mills for grinding corn and cob meal that we have 

 seen ; this has called forth in reply several articles 

 on the subject, from the advocates of, and dealers 

 in other mills. In these articles, opinions upon 

 the subject of digestion are advanced at variance 

 with science and the natural laws of animal phy- 

 siology. 



Mr. L. Bollman, editor of the agricultural de- 

 partment of the Indiana Journal, takes the sub- 

 ject up, and in proof of his own opinions quotes 

 Mr. Youatt, and says: "Our authority is best," 

 &c If our friend of the Journal quotes Youatt 

 correctly, he (Youatt) is certainly in error, as we 

 shall attempt to show ; nor is this the only error 

 Mr, Y., has published in his various works on 

 domestic animals. In proof of our argument we 

 will give authority which the scientific world will 

 admit is still better — Dr. Carpenter and Flourens. 



As the preparation of food for economical feed- 

 ing of farm animals is becoming a matter of great 

 importance to our Western farmers, we will give i 



Mr. Bollman's article in full, and in order to dis- 

 pose of the question in controversy, we shall an- 

 swer at length, although it will occupy more space 

 in our columns than we should feel willing to de- 

 vote to a subject of less importance. The follow- 

 ing is what Mr. B. says on the subject : 



" The idea here advanced is that corn and meal 

 when eaten by ruminants pass directly to the 

 fourth stomach, unless mixed with coarser food. 

 Will the Farmer give us its authority for this 

 opinion? But conceding its correctness, we ask 

 whether the gastric juice of the fourth stomach 

 is not a sufficient solvent to digest the coarse meal 

 of the crushers. We know it cannot act upon the 

 whole grain, because it has no power over the sili- 

 cious coating of the unbroken grain. 



If the corn is ground into "fine meal," can it 

 be chewed any finer? If not, why the necessity 

 of mixing it with cut and moistened hay ? 



The process of digestion in ruminating animals 

 as stated in these extracts, did not accord with our 

 recollection, but having killed a beef a short time 

 since, to which we had fed com in the ear, we 

 examined the paunch or first stomach, and found 

 the corn, both the broken and unbroken grains, 



