Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1846-01-29
ECONOMICAL HINTS.

ECONOMICAL HINTS.
The following hints, from the pen of
Mr. THOMAS EwELL, though written many
years ago, contain suggestions we'll worthy
of attention at the present moment-they
have, in the main, been found to be correct,
and are worthy of adoption by every one
who is disposed to economise in his feed
ing during the present high prices of food :
Remedy for Searcity.-As the present
scarcity of grain produces serious distress
among the poorer class of people; and
what is almost as painful, much greater
wants among the domestic animals, it be-
comes an object of great importance to. Ii
minish the consumption, and to increase
the nutriment of that consumed. Proper
attention TO the subject most certainly will
reduce the use of grain one half of the pre-
sent quantity; and it behooves every man
in good circumstances to attend to it, in
order that there may be more for market.
If every one will seriously carry into ope-
ration the plan | have to propose for feed
ing, the price of grain will in a few days
be so reduced, that their good effects will
quickly be felt, the poor will be supplied
on moderate terms; half-starved COWS and
horses will pass a comfortable winter; and
some Of the vile sharpers, specializing in
articles of the first necessity, will be disap-
pointed in their project of fattening on the
spoils OF the needy.
A most important point is, TO suffer no
animal to eat grain in its natural state. II
should all go through the hands of the
miller and the cook. The life of the grain
resists the action of the stomach so long,
that it passes into the bowels before it is
decomposed, and from thence, in like con-
dition, is expelled. This is generally be-
leved by wagoners, who feed their horses
on rye meal, called chop. The grinding
of oats and corn, is just as beneficial as
that of rye. And of as much importance
as grinding is boiling the meal with water,
so as to make it thin mush. This mush,
mixed up with hay or cut straw, will in a
day or two be preferred by the animal con-
fined to it to any other diet. One gallon of
meal added to two gallons of boiling wa
ter, in the manner in which it is added to
soups or mush when thickened, and if not
boiled with hay or straw, which would be
best, poured on it and stirred up, and given
at night, will with the aid of a little hay in
the day, preserve any horse or cow in good
order. The mixture. or mush, ought by
all means to be boiled few minutes, other
wise but little good will be done. This is
confirmed by the following experiment, re-
peaedly made in England: A man, confined
to a given quantity Of raw materials, with
abundance of water, would gradually de-
cline in flesh; but with the same quantity
of raw materials made into soup, would
continue in good condition. The union of
the water with the food, by boiling, is like
that in vegetation, it becomes component
part, and is converted into nourishment for
the body, if not chemically united. Whe-
ther this reasoning be convincing or not,
matters but little, since those to whom it is
not satisfactory may rely upon the fact, that
boiling thin meal, before adding to it straw
or hay, will make it go twice as far in the
support of their stock. Surely, for such an
advantage, SO easily obtained, every one
ought TO get over the natural Incidence and
common aversion to deviate from old habits.
Another considerable saving we'll worth
attention will be made by giving the ami
mails all their meal food before dusk, and
without hay during the night. BY eating
the meal food at night, their stomachs con-
vert the whole Of it into nourishment. That
taken in the day does very little good
more frequently injury than good. 1t ope-
rates on the stomach, instead of the sto-
mach operating on it, but it excites pain,
cholic and other symptoms of inflammation.
This can be we'll understood from the ex-
pertinent of an English physician he gave
a given quantity of the same food TO two
similar dogs, keeping the one quiet, the
other in constant motion, for six hours,
when both were killed. The stomach of
the one at rest had dgested all its contents;
that Of the other, had not produced any eff
feet. The frequent repetition of this expe-
riment has ended in its undisputed estab-
lishment. Hence, it is clear that the grain
given in the day to animals in use is of no
benefit, as it passes through the stomach
before rest enables the digestion to take
place. Hence giving hay at night really
Injuries horses, by keeping them awake and
moving. During the night, excepting with
those animals nature made for subsisting in
the dark, rest and sleep are indispensable !;