248 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



and so continuous that the wear, has been excessive, although 

 there has been no breaking down in any part thereof. The 

 Hmit of the period of high usefuhiess in a dairy cow may thus 

 be easily and materially shortened. 



Animals that are being fed for the block are ripe when, un- 

 der normal conditions of feeding they cease to make material 

 gains. If kept longer, the larger portion of the food fed is 

 given at a loss. The loss may soon become serious, for, un- 

 der such conditions, they may continue to consume large quan- 

 tities of food. Such ripeness is indicated by a firmness of the 

 flesh under gentle pressure or by marked falling off in the gains 

 under suitable conditions of feeding. In an experiment con- 

 ducted under my personal supervision, pork during the fatten- 

 ing period was made up to a certain point at a cost of approxi- 

 mately four cents per pound, whereas during subsequent weeks 

 the cost was approximately ten dollars per hundred pounds, 

 the food being fed the same in kind. The importance of dis- 

 posing of animals promptly when finished is thus apparent. 



The mistake, however, is far more frequently made of 

 selling animals unfinished. Probably ninety per cent, of all 

 the cattle sold reach the block under rather than over-finished. 

 This more than anything else probably is accountable for the 

 too common belief that there is no money in fattening cattle. 

 Sometimes cattle are sold half finished because the price of 

 food has become unduly high. At other times, because suita- 

 ble food supplies cannot be obtained, but more frequently, per- 

 haps, because many do not properly understand what good 

 finish in cattle means. 



When foods are being fed a due regard must be had to their 

 chemical constituents, which means that a proper relation must 

 obtain between the amount of protein and carbo-hydrates fed 

 under normal conditions of feeding to insure the most satis- 

 factory results. This relation will vary with the animals fed 

 and the objects sought from feeding them. These varieties 

 cannot be discussed, they are so many. There must also be a 

 certain relation between the amount of concentrates and 

 roughage to bring highest profits. But since this relation is 

 a shifting quantity and is to some extent affected by food 

 values, it also will not be discussed further. 



I call attention to the important fact here, that the real 

 value of a food factor may be more or less in practical feeding 



