214 DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



1. They are of no benefit to healthy animals when fed as directed, 

 either as to increasing the digestibility of the feed or rendering it 

 more effective for the production of meat, milk, wool, etc. 



2. They are of no benefit as a cure-all for diseases of the various 

 classes of live stock ; neither do they possess any particular merit in 

 case of specific diseases, or for animals out of condition, off feed, 

 etc., since only a small proportion of ingredients having medicinal 

 value is found therein, the bulk of the feeds consisting of a filler 

 which possesses no medicinal properties whatever. 



3. Exorbitant prices are charged for these feeds, as is natural, 

 considering the extensive advertising the manufacturers are doing 

 and the liberal selling commissions they pay. The large sales of 

 stock feeds are doubtless mainly to be attributed to these facts. 



4. By adopting a liberal system of feeding farm animals and 

 furnishing a variety of feeds, good results may be obtained without 

 resorting to condimental stock feeds. If a farmer considers it neces- 

 sary to give stock feeds at times, he can purchase the ingredients 

 at a drug store and make his own at a fraction of the cost charged 

 for them by the manufacturers. 



The preceding conclusions may be said to give the case against 

 the condimental stock feeds. It is only fair to state, as the other 

 side of the case, that the suggestions for better care and feeding of 

 stock which have come from the advertising matter issued by stock 

 feed manufacturers, or from their agents, have doubtless been of 

 value to many farmers and have been productive of results. As 

 many people are not disposed to heed advice that is given without 

 cost, it may be that indirectly the money spent for condimental 

 stock feed has not in some cases been wholly wasted. 



QUESTIONS 



1. What is a proprietary feed, and to what extent is it wise to use such 



a feed. 



2. Name three miscellaneous feeds of minor importance for feeding stock. 



3. State how and for what class of farm animals each is used. 



4. What is a condimental stock feed? 



5. State the main conclusions to which experiments with these materials 



have led. 



6. Is it necessary to feed condimental stock feeds to farm animals ? If not, 



what would you use in their place? 



