484 GRASSES OF IOWA. 



more of the first three, according to price and other considera- 

 tions. Let us assume that the cottonseed and Buffalo goods 

 be chosen and proceed to figure our ration. 



"It is generally desirable to make as large use of roughages 

 as possible because of their cheapness. The amounts which 

 can be consumed vary with different animals. In dairy feed- 

 ing, however, more than half, and often as much as two thirds, 

 of the total dry matter should be givei in the form of rough- 

 age. 



"Let us, as a preliminary trial, take 10 pounds hay, l!5 

 pounds silage, 4 pounds bran and 1 pound each of cottonseed 

 meal and Buffalo gluten feed. Turning to the 'convenience 

 table,' w^e find the total dry matter, digestible protein and car- 

 bohydrates, etc., calculated for these weights: 



Dry Digestible Difccstible Nutritive 



matter, proteia. carboliydrates. ratio. 



Hay, 10 pounds 8.5 0.44 4.4 



Silag-e, 25 pounds 6.6 0.3o 4.5 



Bran, 4 pounds 3.5 0.48 1.8 



Cottonseed meal, 1 pound 0.9 0.40 0.4 



Buffalo gluten feed, 1 pound 0.9 0.23 0.6 



Total 20.4 1.85 n.7 1:6 3 



Standard 28.8 2.97 13.3 1:4.5 



"How do they Cimpare? Eight pounds short in total dry 

 matter, one pound short in prjtein, one and one-half pounds 

 short in carbohydrates; 30 per cent lacking in dry matter, 

 nearly 40 per cent in prote n, but only 12 per cent short in 

 carbohydrates. What shall be used to bring the ration up? 

 More roughage will increase carbohydrates faster than pro- 

 tein; more bran will do the same, but not as rapidly; more 

 cottonseed meal will not, and more gluteu food will help more 

 than it will hinder. Inasmuch as it is of doubtful wisdom to 

 feed cottonseed meal very heavily, let us see what the addition 

 of 2 pounds of cottonseed meal and 1 pound of gluten feed 

 will do. 



Dry Digestible Digestible Nutritive 

 matter, prot In. carbjhydrates. ratio. 



Cononseed meal, 2 pounds 1.8 0.80 0.8 



Buffalo gluten feed, 1 pound 0.9 0.23 0.6 



Total 2.7 1.03 1.4 



Formerresult 20.4 1.85 11.7 



New total 23.1 2.88 12.8 1:4.4 



Standard 28.8 2.97 13.3 1:4.5 



"The ration now 'balances,' yet is still nearly G pounds 

 short of total dry matter. Since the ration is a shade narrow 



