EEPOKT OP THE CHEMIST. 



Ill 



that they are very much lower than those for the graius, which is of 

 course to be expected. There arc several points about these money val- 

 ues which should be explained to show their use. 



Two or more grasses varying in composition may have the same vahies. 

 Tiiis means that all are worth the same as fodder if used so as to econo- 

 mize all the nutrients. 



A clover hay whose composition might be — 



Moisture IC. 7 



Fat 3.2 



Nitrogen, free extract 32.9 



Crude fiber * 'j[). 9 



Albummoicla 11.0 



Asia G. 3 



is worth, according to the values given above, $1'1.10 per ton; that is 

 to say, it contains nutritive ingredients of that value. If used in com- 

 bination with other fodder poor in nitrogen but rich in carbohydrates, 

 the nutritive ratio will be made normal and the full value of the clover 

 would be realized; but if it were fed alone, the excess of nitrogen con- 

 tained in the clover beyond that which was necessary to the right pro- 

 portion to the carbohydrates present, would, as we'have seen, be fed 

 wastefuUy, since it would be supplying the place of other and cheaper 

 food. 



The ratio of fats and carbohydrates to the albuminoids beiug 1 to 3.28, 

 about 35 per cent, of the nitrogen would thus be fed at a waste by feed- 

 ing the hay alone, and, therefore, while this hay, properly fed, would 

 have a nutritive value of $14.10, only $11.50 worth would be economi- 

 cally fed, while the remaining $2.60 worth of nutritive material would 

 simply serve the purpose of an equivalent amount of carbonaceous food 

 of a much less market value. 



Many considerations of course affect these methods of rational feed- 

 ing, and persons interested can do no better than read some of the 

 admirable German works on the subject, which, although perhaps not 

 strictly applicable to our climate and stock, will point out to the farmer 

 the dii'cction in which investigations on this subject must be pushed. 

 But few experiments have been made in the United States, and when 

 we consider what an immense amount of time and experience has been 

 devoted to this subject on the Continent, it is impossible not to see the 

 extent of the work which is before us to put the farmer on as sound a 

 basis in this country. 



COMPAEISON OF AMERICAN AND GERMAN GRASSES. 



Wolff and Kiihn give the following tables of the average composition 

 of German grasses, which arc of interest to compare with our own given 

 afterwards : 



Wolff's taUes of the comj)GiUion of hay from Gennan grasses. 



Couditions. 



Poor 



Fair 



Gootl (average) 



Very good 



Extra 



Average good, dry 



Water. 



14.30 

 11.30 

 14. 30 

 Vj. 00 

 IC.OO 



Ash. 



5.00 

 5.40 

 G.20 

 7.00 

 7.70 

 7.23 



Fat. 



1.50 

 2. 00 

 2. .50 

 2.80 

 3.00 

 2.02 



