28 



VERMONT DAIRYMEN S REPORT. 



The above arrangement makes it clear that the coarse feeds 

 have been divided into four, and the concentrated feeds into 

 two classes. It is not my purpose to consider Class I at length. 

 This class consists of the various root crops. When used in 

 moderate quantities they are very desirable feeds, but in my 

 judgment they are as a rule too costly for the dairyman to grow. 



As types of the other five classes we may note the composi- 

 tion of hay, a coarse feed, and corn meal and gluten meal, con- 

 centrated feeds. 



Pounds in ioo. 



Water, 



Protein, 



Fat, 



Extract, 



Fiber, 



Ash, 



Total, 

 Pounds digestible in above, 



First observe that the hay and corn contain about the same 

 amount of protein. We say they are low in protein. Note that 

 the gluten meal is high in protein. In the second place observe 

 that the hay contains a large amount of fiber, while the corn 

 and gluten contain but little. Third, note that the hay contains 

 but forty-eight pounds of actual nutritive or digestible material, 

 while the corn and gluten contain from seventy-five to eighty 

 pounds. The large amount of fiber in the hay causes it to be 

 much less digestible than those feed stuffs containing but small 

 quantities. 



The corn meal, with seventy-four pounds of food matter, 

 may be considered a concentrated or refined hay. Aside from 

 its mechanical structure, it differs from the hay in only one im- 

 portant particular — it is very much more digestible. The gluten 

 meal differs from the hay in two particulars, first it is very much 

 more digestible, and second it contains a much larger amount 

 of protein. In general, then, we may say that the concentrated 

 feeds differ from the coarse feeds in two ways : first, they are 

 all more digestible, and second, many of them contain very 

 much larger amounts of protein. 



D. THE MOST DESIRABLE COARSE EEEDS. 



A very large number of coarse feeds may be mentioned 

 which can be grown successfully upon our northern farms, but 



