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INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO DAIRYMEN. 



By J. B. LINDSEY. 



1. Composition of Cattle Feeds. 



All cattle feeds, whether in the form of grains and their by- 

 products, or as hay, corn silage and straw, are composed of the 

 following groups of substances: 



Water — The several grains and their by-products contain 

 from 7 to 12 per cent of water; hay and straw, 12 to 16 per cent; 

 field-cured corn stover, 30 to 40 per cent; and corn silage, 76 to 

 80 per cent. 



Ash represents the mineraling redients, and constitutes the 

 ashes after the feed is burned. These ashes consist of lime, potash, 

 soda, magnesia, iron, phosphoric and sulfuric acids. 



Protein is a collective name for all of the nitrogenous matter; 

 it corresponds to the lean meat in the animal, and may be termed 

 vegetable meat." It has the same elementary composition as 

 animal flesh. When fed to animals as a component of the various 

 feedstuff's, it serves as the exclusive source of flesh as well as a 

 source of heat or energy and fat. 



Criide fiber or cellulose is the coarse or woody part of the plant. 

 It may be called the plant's framework. It is a source of heat 

 or energy and fat. 



Non-nitrogenous extract matter represents the sugars, starch 

 and gums. It is the principal source of heat or energv and animal 

 fat. 



Fat includes not only the various oils and fats in all grains and 

 coarse fodders, but also waxes, resins and coloring matters. It 

 is frequently termed ether extract, because it is that portion of the 

 plant soluble in ether. It serves as a source of heat or energy and 

 fat in the body of the animal. 



Carbohydrates is a term which is generally used to include both 

 the fiber and the non-nitrogenous extract matter. 



It will thus be seen that all of the several groups of nutrients — 

 protein, carbohydrates and fat — are sources of energy; that is 

 they furnish the food or fuel to maintain the life of the body. 

 They also are convertible into fat. The protein, however (in- 



