350 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ration before its life terminates. In ease nitrogenous con- 

 stituents are excluded, the formation of new blood and flesh 

 from the food consumed ceases, for the animal system is not 

 capable of producing their principal constituents from any- 

 thing else than the nitrogenous constituents of the plants. 



Herbivorous animals receive these substances directly from 

 the plants ; carnivorous animals indirectly, by feeding on 

 herbivorous animals. We feed, at present, our farm stock 

 too frequently without a due consideration of the general 

 natural law of nutrition ; to deal out our fodder crops only 

 with mere reference to name, instead of making ourselves 

 more familiar with their composition and their particular 

 quality, deprives us even of the chance of drawing an intel- 

 ligent conclusion from our present system of feeding. 



To compound the animal diet with reference to the par- 

 ticular organization of the animaly its age and its functions ^ 

 is of no more importance than to select the fodder substances 

 with reference to its special wants, as far as the absolute and 

 relative quantity of the tltree essential groups of food constit- 

 uents are concerned. 



The peculiar character of our home-raised fodder articles 

 is apt to conceal their special deficiency for the various pur- 

 poses they are used for in a general farm management. 

 They all contain the three essential food constituents, yet in 

 widely varying proportions, and they ought, therefore, to be 

 supplemented in difierent directions, to secure their full 

 economical value. To resort to more or less of the same 

 fodder article to meet the special wants, may meet the case 

 as far as an efficient support of the animal is concerned, yet 

 it can only in exceptional cases be considered good economy. 



To satisfy the craving of the stomach and to feed a nutri- 

 tious food are both requirements of a healthy animal diet, 

 which, each in their own way, may be complied with. The 

 commercial fodder substances, as oil-cakes, meal refuse, 

 brans and our steadily increasing supply of refuse material 

 from breweries, starch works, glucose factories, etc., are ad- 

 mirably fitted to supplement our farm resources for stock- 

 feeding ; they can serve in regard to animal growth, and 

 support, in a similar way as the commercial fertilizer in the 

 growth of farm crops, by supplementing our home resources. 



