PREFACE 



THE general interest in matters pertaining to the farm and farm 

 life that has been evidenced in recent years is one of the wholesome 

 signs of the times. Farm animals have shared in this increasing 

 interest, and the love of fine stock, as well as the desire to surround 

 the animals with conditions that will secure the best results for the 

 care and labor bestowed upon them, has been a potent factor in the 

 development of animal industry in this country during the last 

 generation. For permanent and fruitful advance in agricultural 

 matters, it is agreed that the boy must be interested ; must learn 

 about the realities and problems of farm life; must be taught how 

 to meet these and how to adjust himself to changes in new conditions 

 of farming that may arise. Hence we find that courses in agricul- 

 ture are being introduced into more and more schools; the agricul- 

 tural college no longer has a monopoly of teaching animal husbandry, 

 field crops, horticulture, etc. County agricultural schools and agri- 

 cultural high schools, as well as graded schools in a number of 

 States, are giving their pupils an opportunity to study the under- 

 lying principles of farm operations. 



Until recently there were no text-books that met the needs of 

 these different classes of students. This want is now, however, 

 gradually being filled, and in some cases there is already a choice 

 of carefully-prepared books, well adapted for the purpose intended. 

 This volume has been prepared with a view to furnishing students in 

 agricultural schools and colleges, as well as practical farmers, with a 

 concise discussion of the main principles relating to the feeding of 

 farm animals and of the various feeding stuffs available to our 

 stockmen. So far as possible, different feeding practices for the 

 various classes of farm animals have also been given and discussed, 

 pointing the way to profitable methods of stock feeding under the 

 variety of conditions existing on American farms. 



The treatment of this subject in text-book form presents pecu- 

 liar difficulties. In view of the immense amount of research work 

 that has accumulated and is being conducted and published every 

 year, at public expense and otherwise, it would be easy to present 

 a bewildering mass of detailed experimental evidence as to the merits 

 of different feeds and methods of feeding. This would not, how- 

 ever, serve the purpose of either teacher or student. It has been the 



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