236 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



NUTEIENTS CONSUMED, 



The Germans claim that a thousand-pound steer requires 

 seven-tenths of a pound digestible albuminoids and eight 

 pounds digestible carbohydrates daily, for maintenance- 

 fodder ; that practically it makes but little difference whence 

 the source of these materials for actual amount digested. 

 In tens of experiments, covering as long periods as those of 

 Germans, and usually longer, I have uniformly received 

 widely contradictory results of their views; so much so, as 

 to make the matter of much moment. I will give tables of 

 results. The foods, clover and fish excepted, were analyzed 

 by Professor Collier. The analysis of the fish was known. 

 Weight of lots eighteen hundred to eighteen hundred and 

 fifty pounds. 



Lot 1. — Feed, good hay. 



2. — Corn-fodder. 



3. — Corn-meal six pounds, and corn-fodder. 



4. — Corn and fish six pounds, and corn-fodder. 



5. — Cotton-seed meal six pounds, and corn-fodder. 



6. — Clover and corn-fodder. 



In the first table will be seen a column of gains for the 

 last thirty-five days. I have uniformly found, that, when a 

 change is made from a food better eaten, animals lose ap- 

 parently in stomach weight : thus, when a pair of steers are 

 changed from fifty pounds of hay to thirty of straw and 

 grain, there is a less full stomach ; *and for the first week, 

 therefore, although the steer is really gaining in carcass 

 weight, I consider the results of gain under column of thirty- 

 five daj^s fairer. Digestible amounts are used in the table 

 ascertained by German digestion percentages. 



