60 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



You see that the ratio of the albumiuoids to the carbhydrates is 

 one to five, for a cow giving milk. You will see from this the 

 defect in hay from mixed grass, which we said was not the best 

 possible ration. Every milkman knows — and I speak of milk in 

 particular, because we have experimented more with milk than with 

 any other product — every milkman knows, I say, that it is not pos- 

 sible for him to make a cow, for any considerable length of time, 

 do her level best on hay alone ; that she will give you only medium 

 results — only that and nothing more. You will find that these fig- 

 ures prove that that result would follow. An avei'age cow will 

 consume twenty-five pounds of mixed ha}' witli a good relish ; a 

 good appetite ; but if you feed her ver}- much more than that, she 

 will leave a portion of it and the appetite will become delicate. 

 Experiments without number have proved that. This twenty-five 

 pounds of mixed hay will average 1.8 pounds of albuminoids and 

 11.2 pounds of carbhydrates. Compare that with the standard 

 ration for a cow, and 30U see at once why she does not give the 

 best results in milk. Yon are feeding onh- 1.8 pounds of albumi- 

 noids, whereas, to secure the best results, 30U should feed 2.5 

 pounds. That is a defect that must show itself in the results, for 

 3'ou cannot obtain a large flow of good milk unless in the ration the 

 •cow has a full suppl}' of albuminoids. 



We will suppose, for the moment, that that cow could masticate 

 :and digest enough hay to secure 2.5 pounds of albuminoids ; you 

 ■will see she would then have to consume nearly double the amount of 

 carbhydrates which is necessary to maintain the proper proportions. 

 This excess of carbhydrates would not only be a waste, but its mas- 

 tication and digestion would be an over-tax upon the organs for no 

 good purpose. 



This gives 3'ou something of a key to a correct understanding of 

 ;the philosoph}- involved in economical methods of feeding. Now, 

 I would like for this question to be further discussed, in the; light of 

 practice alone, if a'OU see fit, that we may find out if, in this prac- 

 tice, there is not a corroboration of the principles which I have 

 .attempted to illustrate here. 



"W. W. Harris, member of the Board from Cumberland : 



Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen — Our Secretary has ])rett\" jilainly 

 explained to you the relative feeding values of these different kinds 

 of fodders. I presume that, so far as any of you have practiced 

 feeding these fodders, 3'our practice coincides with the |)rinciple8 



