518 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



be answered by such experiments, and yet they were questions Avhich 

 he, as a practical man, found of importance. His results would be 

 of very great value in confirming- or checking the conclusions from 

 scientific investigations, yet, taken by themselves, they were inde- 

 cisive and capable of more than one interpretation. 



Systematic studies of the practice of successful feeders should aid 

 largely in this phase of the work. We might, I believe, find an im- 

 portant field for this sort of investigation in the feeding experiments 

 recorded in the bulletins and reports of the stations. These experi- 

 ments have been conducted and reported with far greater care than 

 are or can be the operations of the practical feeder. Doubtless a wdse 

 criticism would liaA'e to be exercised in their selection and discussion, 

 but they constitute an almost unworked mine of valuable material. 

 To cite a single personal illustration, the writer has somewhat recently 

 undertaken a comparison of a few of the more readily available sta- 

 tion experiments upon the fattening of cattle with reference to the 

 proteid requirements of such animals. The results need not be quoted 

 here ; it is sufficient to say that they showed a strikingly good general 

 agreement, and to that extent seem calculated to furnish a good guide 

 for practice. Had it been possible to make a systematic search of 

 station literature, doubtless the available data might have l>een largely 

 increased, but such an undertaking is usually beyond the means of 

 the individual investigator. 



This last suggestion leads naturally to the consideration of a re- 

 lated line of activity, namely, the compilation and critical discussion 

 of the literature of animal nutrition in general, so far as it is of value 

 to the stock feeder. As a matter of course, such study and com])ila- 

 tion would accompany the scientific investigations already suggested, 

 but in addition there is a vast amount of recorded data, both American 

 and foreign, available, out of which much valuable information might 

 be dug which would serve to check and correct our conclusions from 

 small-scale experiments. The work needs to be done, but its volume 

 almost discourages one from making an individual beginning. In 

 brief, we need, parallel with scientific investigations into principles, 

 a comprehensive sifting, working over, and systematizing of the facts 

 already on record. 



I have thus endeavored, after pointing out the economic importance 

 of the subject, to indicate the unsatisfactory nature of our present 

 knowledge regarding the principles of stock feeding, and the need of 

 broadly planned investigations in this field, and have ventured the at- 

 tempt to outline in general terms some of the investigations needed. 

 There still remains to be considered the administrative question of 

 how systematic investigations of the sort needed can be most effect- 

 ively promoted, and this again is part of the broader question of how 

 far fundamental investigations into principles can legitimately and 

 reasonabl}^ be expected from our institutions for agricultural research. 



