EXPERIMENT STATION. lOT 



These constituents, however, are not all digestible. A chemical 

 examination of the solid excrements of the cow would show that 



1.85 lbs. Protein, 

 .40 Ihs. Fat, 

 10.70 lbs. Woody and Starchy matter, 



had passed through the animal undigested, and as far as nutrition 

 is concerned, had been lost. 



If now we subtract from the food eaten, the amount of indi- 

 gestible matter found in the manure, we shall know how much 

 digestible food there is in thirty-five pounds of clover hay. It 

 will be found to be 2f lbs. protein, | lb. fat and 13^ lbs. starchy 

 mattei'. 



The cow then which consumes thirty-five pounds of clover hay 

 daily, lives, increases perhaps a trifle in live- weight, and produces 

 its milk from 2f lbs. protein, ^Ib. fat, and 13^ lbs. starchy 

 matter. German agricultural chemists have shown that an ordin- 

 ary milch cow of 1,000 lbs. live weight does not require more 

 than 2^ lbs. digestible protein, -^ lbs. digestible fat, and 1 2i lbs. 

 digestible starchy matter daily, and German farmers have proved 

 the correctness of these figures by years of practical experience. 

 Of course, if a cow gives an unusual amount of milk, an unusual 

 quantity of food will be necessary, if loss of live weight is to be 

 avoided. In such cases the quantity of digestible matter can be 

 increased to 2f lbs. of protein, ^ lb. fat, and 13^ lbs. starchy 

 matter. It will rarely be found profitable, however, to feed more 

 than this amount. 



The farm should supply an abundance of digestible starchy 

 matter in the form of fodder-corn, straw, chaff, turnips, etc. The 

 digestible protein and fat can probably, in most cases, be bought 

 at a lower price than the market value of that raised in New 

 Jersey. 



The following table will give an idea of the wide rano-e of 

 prices between farm products and such commercial articles as 

 cotton-seed meal, oil cake, brewers' grains, etc. 



Contain of digestible 



100 lbs. of Cost. Protein. Fat. Starch.* 



Timothy Hay, $1.00 3.02 1.37 48.58 



Clover Hay, -. .75 7.83 1.48 39.71 



Corn Meal, 1.12 6.23 2.89 66.90 



Brewers' Grains, .25 4.73 1.50 14.29 



Cotton Seed Meal, 1.30 33.00 10.89 12.62 



*i 



i. e., of Carbhydrates ; see p. 78. 



