736 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



without a clue proportion of oil I should not expect success in 

 fattening. 



Value for feeding purposes of various articles of food. — I now 

 propose to examine tlie composition of materials chiefly used for 

 feeding, and their eflicacy for the production of fat. I give the 

 percentage of starch, sugar, &c., and reduce them to fat, taking 

 the proportion as 90 of starch, sugar, &c., to 50 of fat. I supply 

 likewise the percentage and value of their fertilizing constituents, 

 which are of importance to the farmer and feeder. The compu- 

 tations were made on the materials in their usual state of dry- 

 ness, except in the case of turnips, which are taken as free from 

 moisture, and therefore valued at 4/. IO5. ]3er ton, = IO5. per ton 

 in the natural state. 



From the following tabular statement, it will be found that 

 in wdieat straw, for which I pay 35^. per ton, I obtain for \s. 

 2\d.^ .50 oil and 32 lbs. starch, or, (the starch reduced as oil,) 

 ISJ lbs., available for the production of fat or for respiration. I 

 know no otlier material from which I can derive by purchase an 

 equal amount of this element of food at so low a price. The 

 value of straw calculated as manure is 9^. 7c?. per ton. 



Swedish turnips, at IO5. per ton, give of oil and starch reduced 

 as oil, 35 lbs. for 2^. 2\d. In comparative nutritive value, 10^. 

 per ton is much too low an estimate. 



Oil-cake.^ beansj Indian mcalj and locust beaiis, have been taken at 

 the same price, viz., Id. per lb., or 9/. 65. Sd. per ton; any vari- 

 ation in their relative market value will alter the figures here 

 given in the same proportion. Of the four, oil-cake is found to 

 be the cheapest at the same price, being much preferable to beans 

 for fattening. The locust, or carob bean, at the same price, is 

 7nuch the dearest. 



In these computations, the albuminous matter is calculated 

 only on its value as manure. When assimilated in flesh or 

 fibrine, it has a higher value in proportion to its weight than fat, 

 and it is on the due apportionment of materials, rich in albumi- 

 nous matter that our success in feeding cattle with profit in great 

 measure depends. For the purpose of acquiring more precise in- 

 formation, I availed myself of the assistance of Professor Way, 

 who selected for analysis a piece of beef, particularly lean, and 

 reported it to consist of— 



