ITO Report of Farmers' Institutes 



HAS UNDUE EMPHASIS BEEN LAID UPON PROTEIN 



1. Views of Dr. W. H. Jordan 



The various compounds of cattle foods are divided into the fol- 

 lowing classes: (1) water, (2) ash, (3) protein, (4) carbo- 

 hydrates, (5) fats. The general functions of these five classes 

 briefly summarized are as follows : 



WATER 



This forms quite a large part of the soft tissues of animals 

 and acts as a carrier in the distribution of digested food to the 

 various parts of the animal body, and also of wastes to the points 

 of elimination. 



ASH 



The ash is the incombustible part of the animal body, and from 

 its compounds is formed the bone. Ash compounds are also 

 distributed throughout the soft tissues of the animal and fill an 

 important place in the composition of certain of the digestive 

 fluids. 



PROTEIN 



From the different protein compounds are formed all the soft 

 and nitrogenous tissues of the animal body, including muscles, 

 the nervous system, the main part of various organs of secretion, 

 the lungs, and quite a large part of the dry matter of the blood. 

 We speak of protein as a main factor in the construction of tissue 

 and its replacement. When not used for these purposes it sup- 

 plies energy for the maintenance of the internal and external 

 activities of the animal body. In this latter respect, digested 

 protein has an energy value about equal to that of digested carbo- 

 hydrates. 



CARBOHYDRATES 



In ordinary cattle food mixtures the carbohydrates are the 

 chief source of the energy used by the animal body. They may 

 also serve for the formation of both body and milk fats. They 

 can take no part in the construction of the real tissues of the 

 animal body, since fat is not regarded as a tissue. 



