The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-09-19
a POINT lLLusrRATEp.
The Analogy in Plant and Animal susie
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The Analogy In Plant and Animal Suste-
nance. }N
A recognized natural law relative to
the fertility of soils may serve to illus
trate point of economy in the feeding
of animals, A soil is practically rich
or poor for any particular, crop, ac-
cording to the balance of elements re-
CURED by that crop, and not according
to the abundance of any of those ele-
ments severally. Unless all the neces-
sary elements be present the crop
must fail; unless all be present in suf-
ticient quantity, it can not flourish.
and unless the proportion of each ele-
ment be adjusted to the requirements
of the crop, the crop can grow only
according to the supply of that which
is proportionately least, so that the SUI
perabundance of any other element is
useless, so far as that crop is con-
cerned. To unlock the treasures of
the soil and appropriate its wealth, the
crop wants just the one deficient ele-
ment increased to its proper proper
ton, and not an indiscriminate addi-
ton of fertilizing substances. As in
mechanics, we have the axiom that a
beam is no stronger than its weakest
part, so in the science of agriculture
there is at least an understood rule
that soil, as regards the crop it is re-
quiPed to produce, is no richer than its
poorest element. No amount of ma
nuring, failing to increase the guam
tty of that element, could add to its
fitness for the desired crop. Change
the crop, and the substituted crop, sup
posing that it can find in ample guam
tity each element of its own special
composition, grows luxuriantly, or, in
stead, add sufficiently more of the ele-
ment in which the soil is poor, and
your first crop flourishes freely.
The constituents of the foods which
build up and sustain animal organisms
have likewise, undoubtedly, their pro-
portionate parts in the process. The
exact balance in each special instance
may be unknown, and even the knowl-
edge obtainable by experiment may be
unsafe for exact application in further
practice, because so much depends up
on the combined circumstances of each
case. Summer, winter, the age and
state of the animal and many other
conditions, must always rule the pro-
cess of food assimilation. The cow in
full supply of the dairy, and the fatten.
ing steer each require food adapted to
its special circumstances. The brood
mare, the stallion during the season
the foal, weanling, or sucking, all re-
quire at least different proportions and
generally different kinds of elements O
sustenance. So in man. The brain
worker and the manual laborer mus
each have the diet which is constituted
to repair the daily expenditure of biz
strength and substance. One kind O.
food is believed to contain elements
specially fitted to restore the wear o
the cerebral organ; another supplies
the heat needed by the man whose duty
exposes him to the inclemency of win
try cold; and another, again renovate
the body wasted under powerful sun
or before a blazing furnace. Eacl
must draw from his food the equiva
Tents of the particles of his body lost il
daily work. If his food be over rich il
some substances, but poor in one re
quired for support of his system,
will cloy his appetite or fail to stimu
late his desire, and a large proportion
of that which he consumes will b
wasted. So it is, assuredly, in feeding
our herds and studs, and flocks. If W
knew accurately the needs of the ami
mails we breed, rear, and fatten, W
should adopt much more Discriminating
modes of mixing and administering
food so as to insure in each case tru
balance of the elements specially rt
uuired. National LSue Stock Journal,