Dairy Management. 171 



to the starch, sugar, and other fat-forming principles, In which I 

 include oil : without a due proportion of oil I should not expect 

 success in fattening. 



Value for Feeding -purposes of various articles of Food. — I now 

 propose to examine the composition of materials chiefly used for 

 feeding, and their efficacy for the production of fat. I give the 

 percentage of starch, sugar, &c., and reduce them to fat, taking 

 the proportion as 90 of starch, sugar, &c., to 50 of fat. I supply 

 likewise the percentage and value of their fertilizing constituents, 

 which are of importance to the farmer and feeder. The com- 

 putations were made on the materials in their usual state of 

 dryness, except in the case of turnips, which are taken as free 

 from moisture, and therefore valued at 4Z. 10^. per ton, = 10s. 

 per ton in the natural state. 



From the following tabular statement (p. 172) it will be found that 

 in wheat-strnw, for which I pay 35^. per ton, I obtain for Is. 2^c?. 

 •50 oil and 32 lbs, starch, or (the starch reduced as oil), 18^ lbs., 

 available for the production of fat or for respiration. I know no 

 other material from which I can derive by purchase an equal 

 amount of this element of food at so low a price. The value of 

 straw calculated as manure is 9s. Id. per ton. 



Swedish turnips, at lO^. per ton, give of oil and starch reduced 

 as oil, 35 lbs., for 2s. 2jd. In comparative nutritive value 10s. 

 per ton is much too low an estiinate. 



Oil-cake, beans, Indian-meal, and locust-heans have been taken 

 at the same price, viz. Id. per lb., or 9/. 6s. ^d. per ton ; any 

 variation in their relative market value will alter the figures here 

 given in the same proportion. Of the four, oilcake is found to 

 be the cheapest at the same price, being much pi'cferable to 

 beans for fattening. The locust or carob bean, at the same price, 

 is much the dearest. 



In these computations the albuminous matter is calculated 

 only on its value as manure. When assimilated in flesh or fi brine 

 it has a higher value in proportion to its weight than fat, and 

 it is on the due apportionment of materials rich in albuminous 

 matter that our success in feeding cattle with profit in great 

 measure depends. For the purpose of acquiring more precise 

 information I availed myself of tlie assistance of Professor Way, 

 who selected for analysis a piece of beef particularly lean, and 

 reported it to consist of — 



■Water 53-81 



Fat 3-10 



Albuminous matter 24*06 



Other substances 19'3 



100-00 



