242 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Oft. Doc 



of the period of arrested development. When development is com- 

 pletely arrested, the only return for the food and labor of feeding 

 is the manure. 



ith. When development is seriously arrested at any period before 

 its completion, the feeding quality of the animal is affected ad- 

 versely. This arises, in part at least, from the disarrangement in 

 the equilibrium of the sysitem which permanently impairs the vig- 

 orous action of the digestive powers. 



5th. \Yhen development is unduly forced by stimulating foods 

 while the animal is still young, its feeding quality is injured fpr all 

 time. 



6th. In fattening animals, when they are so ripened that they 

 cease* to make good gains, further feeding can only be done at a 

 loss. Experience and close observation are necessary to determine 

 when this stage is reached. The aim, therefore, should be to so 

 gauge the period of ripening that the animals will be ready for 

 disposal at that season when markets are usually good. 



7th. In selecting a ration for feeding, due regard must be given 

 to the chemical constituents of the food or foods which compose it. 

 These will vary with the class and age of the animal and the purpose 

 for which it is being fed. The aim should be to form a ration suited 

 to the wants of the animal at that time. 



8th. In nearly all cases a mixed diet is superior to one composed 

 of any one food, since a single food seldom contains all the elements 

 of a perfect food; the exceptions are grasses for maturer animals, 

 and new milk for the young. 



9th. The value of foods cannot always be estimated by their chem- 

 ical constituents, as foods of nearly the same composition have op- 

 posite effects upon the system. 



10th. Discomfort from any source, as for example, cold, heat, in- 

 sects, or excitement, arrests development and therefore produce 

 loss in proportion to continuance and intensity. 



These are the principal laws governing the feeder. In themselves 

 they appear and are simple, yet it requires a master hand to work 

 them out; but the reward attending the effort to observe them is 

 ample. What gives more satisfaction to the farmer than to see a 

 bunch of calves or lambs doing well in rapid growth and develop- 

 ment? It not only gives satisfaction to the eye; it also lines the 

 pocket and builds up the farm. 



The other essential to successful stock-keeping, is care or manage- 

 ment. As I go up and down this great Keystone State and see 

 cattle humped up in the cold wind, and as I look into the dark, cold 

 barns and stables, I am convinced that if we could only realize that 

 it actually pays in dollars and cents to make our stock comfortable, 

 we should set about doing so. Warm, dry, and well ventilated sta- 



