38 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



feres with digestion and normal milk secretion and is to be 

 avoided. The percentage of protein and fat serve as an index 

 of the character of a feed. A guarantee of fiber, woody mate- 

 rial, in addition to protein and fat would furnish a better index 

 to the character of feed stuffs which contain an excessive 

 amount of fiber and consequently less of the more digestible 

 nutrients. 



There are certain specific substances in a feed stuff which are 

 used for certain well defined purposes in the animal. Chemists 

 divide a feed stuff into five parts: water, ash, protein, carbo- 

 hydrates and fat. The ash or mineral part builds up the frame 

 work or skeleton of the animal and assists in some of the 

 processes of digestion. Protein produces lean meat or muscle, 

 the casein of milk and to some extent, body and milk fat. The 

 carbohydrates, which include starch, sugar and fiber or the 

 woody part of the plant, are used to produce energy, heat, body 

 and milk fat. 



THE MAKING OE GRAIN RATIONS. 



The dairy cow is so constituted that to give the best results 

 she must have a certain amount of protein in her ration. This 

 depends upon the size of the animal, amount of milk produced, 

 quality of the milk, and stage of lactation. Authorities differ 

 as to the necessary amount, but it lies between 2 and 2^ pounds 

 of digestible protein daily. Of course, it is also necessary for 

 the animal to have enough of the carbohydrates and fat, but 

 these are almost without exception found in sufficient quantity 

 in the foods produced on the farm. It can be readily seen then, 

 that the most economical feeds for the farmer to buy, under 

 usual conditions, are those feeds rich in protein in order to 

 round out or balance the home grown or carbohydrate feeds. 

 The most economical protein feeds vary with the different sea- 

 sons and different markets, and every farmer can determine for 

 himself by consulting the feed bulletins of the experiment sta- 

 tion and the market reports what feeds it will be best for him 

 to purchase. 



The qualities of a good grain ration are : 



First, it should contain approximately 2 pounds of protein. 



Second, it should be bulky, not weighing over one pound to 

 the quart. 



